ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Double Reporting of Donations

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to facilitate the end of the double reporting of donations by hon. Members.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Administration Act 2006 contains amendments to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 which would remove the requirement on hon. Members to report certain donations and loans separately to the Electoral Commission.
	However, these amendments cannot be brought into effect until the Commission is satisfied that the House has changed its own reporting procedures to require that hon. Members report the same information regarding gifts, donations and loans as they are currently required to report to the Commission under PPERA.
	The Commission informs me that it has been working with the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner on Standards to achieve these changes to the reporting requirements as soon as possible.

Efficiency Savings

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what  (a) cashable and  (b) non-cashable efficiency savings the Electoral Commission made in each of the last three years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that, during its first six years of operations, it did not record specific cashable and non-cashable efficiency savings because it was going through a period of organisational change. However, the Commission remained within its agreed budget throughout this period.
	Following a review commissioned by the Speaker's Committee, the Commission now plans and records its efficiency savings and during 2007-08 has delivered £625,000 of recurrent cashable savings.

Electoral Commission: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what budget has been set for the Electoral Commission for each of the next three financial years. [Official Report, 6 March 2008, Vol. 472, c. 26MC.]

Peter Viggers: The Speaker's Committee considered the Commission's budget for the four years 2007-08 to 2010-11 when it met in March 2007 and approved a cash flat resource budget of £3,995,000 (including the £2 million annual policy development grant budget) in each of the four years, subject to reconsideration only in the event that Parliament places new responsibilities upon the Commission during this period.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine Tuberculosis: Devon

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered in Devon as a result of tuberculosis infection in each of the last five years; how much compensation was paid to the farmers affected in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table sets out the number of cattle slaughtered under bovine tuberculosis control measures in Devon in the last five calendar years. A breakdown of the amount of compensation paid in Devon is not available.
	
		
			  Cattle slaughtered under TB control measures in Devon county: 2003-07( 1) 
			   Number 
			 2003 3,767 
			 2004 4,758 
			 2005 6,660 
			 2006 4,468 
			 2007 5,383 
			 (1) Includes cattle slaughtered as reactors, inconclusive reactors and direct contacts. 2005-07 figures are provisional, subject to change as more data become available.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Testing

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average length of time to test a badger for tuberculosis is.

Jonathan R Shaw: There is currently no sensitive and reliable diagnostic test for bovine TB in live badgers in the field. Bovine TB is most reliably detected by post mortem examination or by the less sensitive method of taking clinical samples (for example, blood, urine, tracheal swabs and faeces) from anaesthetised live badgers. Tissue samples are then confirmed by culture  of Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis ) in the laboratory. However,  M. bovis grows very slowly so culture results can take six weeks to several months to come through. Various blood tests can be used to measure the immune response to bovine TB, one of which takes about 30 minutes, and has about 80 per cent. sensitivity in detecting severely infected animals.
	The drawback of these tests for live badgers is the need to anaesthetise the badger in order to sample it, hence they are suitable for research purposes only.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies on (i) official hospitality and (ii) staff entertainment in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested for each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. From information held centrally the amounts spent on hospitality by the core-Department are:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 140,588 
			 2002-03 344,822 
			 2003-04 576,829 
			 2004-05 381,138 
			 2005-06 457,523 
			 2006-07 405,482 
			 2007-08(1) 291,585 
			 (1) April to December 
		
	
	Direct year-on-year comparisons cannot be made because of Machinery of Government changes that have occurred.
	The core-Department does not hold information centrally on hospitality expenditure by its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The core-Department holds no information centrally on the expenditure category of staff entertainment.

Departmental Official Residences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Ministerial residences were available to his Department's Ministers and those of its predecessors in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary of the Duchy of Lancaster on 19 February 2008,  Official  Report, column 688W.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by his Department and its predecessor in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested for each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. From information held centrally the numbers of fleet vehicles owned by core-DEFRA for the financial years 2001-02 to 2007-08 to date are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001-02 289 
			 2002-03 390 
			 2003-04 418 
			 2004-05 376 
			 2005-06 306 
			 2006-07 298 
			 2007-08 (to date) 221 
		
	
	From information held centrally the numbers of pool vehicles owned by core-DEFRA and the Animal Health Agency for the financial years 2005-06 to 2007-08 to date are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 42 
			 2006-07 41 
			 2007-08 (to date) 42 
		
	
	The core-Department's Regional Development Service (RDS) had 157 pool vehicles in 2005-06 but these became the responsibility of National England when the RDS was absorbed into the non-departmental public body.

Food: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's policy is on the purchase of food from local sources.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have helped to support local sourcing with funding for a range of measures, which allow regional and local food producers to overcome barriers to the effective marketing of their products. Examples include "meet the buyer" events, encouragement for food hubs and shared distribution facilities, and key training seminars.
	Support from DEFRA has been boosted by the regional development agencies (RDAs), helping activities to do with the promotion of quality regional and local food culture. The level and type of RDA funding reflects each region's priorities as set out in regional economic strategies. RDAs also deliver aspects of DEFRA's rural development programme for England (RDPE). Support is available under the RDPE to improve the competitiveness of a wide range of rural businesses, which can include local and regional food producers.
	We have also commissioned research aimed at enabling policy makers, support organisations and the supply chain to better understand the regional and local food sector. One of these projects will investigate the practicalities and benefits of local food production. Other work will examine consumer attitudes and actual purchasing behaviour. The results will be published on our website.
	Finally, DEFRA's ongoing public sector food procurement initiative (PSFPI) was launched in 2003 to help deliver the Government's sustainable farming and food strategy. This aims to increase opportunities for small and local producers to tender for contracts to supply food to the public sector. Our funding for this initiative supports workshops for buyers and suppliers, regional pilot projects to develop the supply side, and a range of guidance materials aimed at both food producers and public sector buyers. More information on the PSFPI can be found on the DEFRA website.

Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been brought under the provisions of the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Gangmasters' Licensing Act 2004 creates two main offences: operating as a gangmaster without a licence and entering into arrangements with an unlicensed gangmaster. It also creates offences in connection with false documents, such as a licence or a document issued by the Gangmasters' Licensing Authority (GLA) in connection with a licence. The GLA enforces the 2004 Act on behalf of DEFRA.
	In the last 12 months, one prosecution has been brought for the offences created by the 2004 Act. This prosecution has been brought in Scotland by the Procurator Fiscal for the offence of acting as a gangmaster without a licence. The trial date has been set for March.
	In addition, the GLA is investigating 105 cases where offences under the 2004 Act may have been committed. The GLA has said that from the 2008-09 financial year it will be placing increasing emphasis on enforcing the 2004 Act now that it has completed the task of designing and implementing the licensing scheme for gangmasters.

Public Sector: Procurement

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of publicly procured food was of British origin in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no central records for the years 2005 and 2006 giving the proportion of publicly procured food of British origin. We have however published data giving the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service for the period July 2006 to 30 June 2007. The report is available on the PSFPI web site at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf
	and has been placed in the Library of the House.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested for each of the last 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. For the calendar years 2002 to 2007 inclusive the recorded number held centrally of parking tickets and speeding fines are;
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002 21 
			 2003 68 
			 2004 61 
			 2005 53 
			 2006 26 
			 2007 60 
		
	
	Parking fines are not recorded separately from other fines. It is departmental policy that drivers are responsible personally for the payment of fines incurred by them while using a vehicle on departmental business.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Wikipedia entries have been  (a) created and  (b) amended (i) by (A) special advisers, (B) Ministers and (C) communications officials and (ii) from IP addresses of (1) special advisers, (2) Ministers and (3) communications officials in his Department since August 2005.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has no record of such activities.

Departmental Property

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what property has been lost or stolen from his Department since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Since that date, the following have been reported as lost or stolen.
	
		
			   Item  Lost  Stolen  Value at date reported lost/stolen (£) 
			 1999-2000 Laptop — Yes 733 
			 2000-01 — — — — 
			 2001-02 — — — — 
			 2002-03 Mobile Phone Yes — n/a 
			 2003-04 — — — — 
			 2004-05 — — — — 
			 2005-06 Multi Media Projector — Yes 766 
			  BlackBerry Yes — 249 
			 2006-07 Mobile Phone Yes — n/a 
			  BlackBerry Yes — 141 
			 2007 (to date) — — — — 
		
	
	It is not possible to determine the value of the mobile phone handsets.

Departmental Retirement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department retired on grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years.

David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are seconded from other Departments and the Office does not maintain personnel records of staff.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are seconded from other Departments and the Office does not maintain personnel records of staff.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not record the information in the form requested.

PRIME MINISTER

Efficiency in Public Services Review: Written Questions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to investigate the reasons why  (a) the Home Department and  (b) the Ministry of Defence have been unable to provide answers to parliamentary questions, save at disproportionate cost, on redundancies and related costs arising from the conclusions of the Gershon review; and if he will take steps to bring the practice of these Departments on answering such questions into line with the other Departments.

Gordon Brown: Practice and procedures are set out in the February 2005 Cabinet Office guidance to Departments entitled Guidance to Officials on Drafting Answers to Parliamentary Questions. Copies of the guidance are available in the Libraries of the House.

TRANSPORT

A57

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the A57 at Snake Pass has been closed during January 2008; when she expects the road to re-open; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The A57 Snake Pass is the responsibility of the Derbyshire county council as local highways authority.
	I understand that the road was closed in the interest of road safety for a period of three weeks following a land slip which affected the road surface.
	Following a period of stabilisation the road has been reopened with a 10 mph speed limit. Derbyshire county council is continuing to monitor the situation and, if no further movement occurs, will carry out resurfacing of the road in late spring.

Aviation: Fuels

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with her foreign counterparts on the quality of fuel supplies at airports servicing British registered aircraft flying to the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State has not had discussions with the authorities of other states regarding the quality of fuel at airports used by aircraft flying to the UK.
	UK airlines are required to use fuel which meets the detailed specifications contained in the flight manuals of their aircraft. The quality of fuel used, including that supplied by through sub-contractors, is monitored through the airlines quality system.

Biofuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the potential role of biomethane as a transport fuel.

Jim Fitzpatrick: During 2006, the Department part-funded a research project to assess the potential role of biomethane as a renewable transport fuel, as well as commissioning a more detailed analysis of the potential benefits of including biogas in the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO). Copies of these reports have been made available in the House Libraries. The Government are also contributing funds to an International Energy Agency working group (IEA Task 37) which is considering the issues raised by biogas.
	In recognition of the environmental benefits that it offers, biomethane already qualifies for a fuel duty incentive equivalent to around 40 pence per kilogramme. From April 2008, it will also be eligible for Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

Bridges: River Thames

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the possible construction of a lower Thames crossing.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has started the first phase of a study into longer-term crossing capacity in the Lower Thames.
	As part of an earlier consultation on a revised charging regime for the existing Dartford Crossing, we announced our intention to commence a study to look at options for addressing rising demand in the longer-term. The start of this study fulfils that commitment.
	This initial phase of the study will advise on the future need for additional crossing capacity and identify possible options. It will also update the transport models to better understand the impacts of current and future demand, and review previous work on what can be done to improve traffic flow through the existing crossing in the short to medium term.
	This phase is planned to be completed around the end of this year and will ensure that we have the latest information and forecasts of demand to be able to make an assessment of potentially viable future options.

Bus Services: Concessions

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people over 60-years-old in Stockport will be eligible for the extended free bus travel scheme to be introduced on 1 April 2008.

Rosie Winterton: The number of residents in the borough of Stockport aged 60 and over who, from 1 April 2008 will be entitled to free off-peak bus travel in any part of England, is around 64,000. In the parliamentary constituency of Stockport approximately 14,000 people will be eligible.

Cycling: Accidents

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to improve the procedures for the collection of data on cycle safety to tackle the underreporting of the number of accidents.

Jim Fitzpatrick: National and local government and police forces work closely to achieve a high reporting standard for road accident data. Very few, if any, fatal accidents do not become known to the police. However, research conducted on behalf of the Department has shown that an appreciable proportion of non-fatal injury accidents are not reported to the police. There is no legal duty in Great Britain to report personal injury road accidents to the police, provided the participants exchange details at the scene.
	Research has also shown that pedal cycle casualties are underrepresented in the road accident data (STATS19). In particular, accidents in which the pedal cyclist is the only participant are not likely to be reported to the Police. Recent research using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) shows that many accidents not recorded in the police data are the result of a person (often a child) falling from a bicycle with no other vehicle involved.
	This research was published by the Department in an article in Road Casualties Great Britain: 2006 annual report (pages 60-72). A copy of the report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House or can be found at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/162259/162469/221412/221549/227755/rcgb2006v1.pdf

Cycling: Safety Measures

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require all pedal bicycles to have a bell or other audible warning device fitted when being used.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Rule 66 of the Highway Code recommends the fitting and use of cycle bells. The 2003 Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations introduced various requirements relating to the supply and sale of cycles, including the obligation for a bell to be fitted at point of sale. While the regulations do not compel cyclists to keep a bell fitted to the bicycle after the machine has been purchased, it seems likely that many will retain it.
	In view of the results of a previous public consultation exercise (2001-02), we consider that there is insufficient justification to make retrospective fitting of a bell obligatory on cycles already in use. Neither do we believe there is a strong enough case to require compulsory use of bells, as this would be impractical and difficult to enforce.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of her Department's expenditure was on advertising in each year since establishment.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested figures are as follows. The majority of advertising investment by the Department and agencies is in support of the THINK! Road Safety, Act on CO2 and Continuous Registration (vehicle taxation) campaigns.
	
		
			   Total public expenditure (£ million)  Advertising expenditure (£ million)  Percentage 
			 2002-03 11,726 18.8 0.16 
			 2003-04 13,086 20.9 0.16 
			 2004-05 13,391 18.9 0.14 
			 2005-06 13,371 21.2 0.16 
			 2006-07 15,838 24.0 0.15

Departmental Telephone Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1007-8W, on departmental telephone services, how much revenue generated from 0870 telephone numbers of her Department's agencies came from Scottish landline numbers in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are unable to identify the geographic origin of calls to them. As a result, they are unable to provide details of revenue generated from Scottish landlines.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1008W, on departmental vehicles, how many vehicles were leased by  (a) the Highways Agency's Traffic Officer Service and  (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what the cost to the public purse was in each of those years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested information, where available, is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency total leased vehicles  Highways Agency total leased vehicles  Highways Agency leased vehicle cost (£) 
			 1998-99 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 1999-2000 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2000-01 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2001-02 14 (1)— (1)— 
			 2002-03 18 (1)— (1)— 
			 2003-04 47 11 140,632 
			 2004-05 38 23 635,251 
			 2005-06 48 166 1,639,178 
			 2006-07 39 171 1,865,175 
			 2007-08 41 267 1,171,038 
			 (1) No data. 
		
	
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is unable to provide detailed information on costs as vehicle lease information is not recorded separately within their records.
	Highways Agency data for 2007-08 is a year to date actual as of end of January 2008, not a full year forecast value.

Derwent Valley Railway Line

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure adequate funding for the upgrading and maintenance of the Derwent Valley railway line.

Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The right hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question.
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Telephone Calls

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls were made to  (a) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency,  (b) the Driving Standards Agency and  (c) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency from Scottish landline numbers in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are unable to identify the geographic origin of calls to them, including those from Scottish landlines.

Electric Vehicles

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the Government's road congestion targets of the use of electric personal assistive mobility devices;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the changes to legislation necessary to permit the use of electric personal assistive mobility devices on  (a) the public highway and  (b) public footpaths;
	(3)  what discussions she has had with her counterparts in EU member states on the potential effect on  (a) carbon emissions and  (b) road congestion of the use of electric personal assistive mobility devices.

Rosie Winterton: If, as we understand, such devices are likely to be used mainly as an alternative to walking or cycling then their potential in terms of congestion relief and of carbon emission reduction is likely to be minimal. No detailed assessment of legislative requirements has been made but primary legislation would need to be amended to permit their use on public footpaths or on the pedestrian footway alongside the public highway. There is provision in section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 that would allow the Secretary of State to permit by way of an order their use on the vehicular part of the public highway. The Secretary of State has no plans to make such an order. The Secretary of State has had no discussions with her EU counterparts on this subject.

Fuels: Renewable Energy

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to encourage the formulation of standards of specification and performance for fuels from renewable sources.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Detailed specifications and performance standards for road fuels are specified in industry standards set in Europe through the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).
	In addition to the standards for petrol and diesel (EN 228 and EN 590 respectively), standards for ethanol used for blending in petrol (EN 15376) and for Fatty Acid Methyl Ester used as pure biodiesel or for blending in diesel (EN 14214) have already been adopted. Key environmental parameters for petrol and diesel are regulated in the EU fuel quality directive (98/70/EC as amended) and transposed in the UK by the Motor Fuels (Composition and Content) Regulations 1999. The Government and their European partners are currently considering a proposal by the European Commission to increase the level of ethanol in petrol permitted by the fuel quality directive.
	The Government are also keen that mandatory sustainability standards should be applied to all biofuels and are pressing for the inclusion of robust sustainability criteria in the relevant European Union legislation. The Government's intention is that only those biofuels meeting certain minimum environmental standards should qualify for credits under the Road Transport Fuels Obligation.

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles were leased by the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to each Government Department in 2007; and what the  (a) average and  (b) total cost of contracts between the GCDA and each Government Department for that year was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 109-11WS. The statement gave information on the number and the contracted cost of ministerial cars and drivers provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) for 2006-07, the last year for which figures are available.
	The number and contracted cost of official cars and drivers provided to senior officials in 2006-07, the last year for which figures are available, are as follows:
	
		
			  Department  Number of cars  Contracted cost (£) 
			 Cabinet Office(1) 5 268,100 
			 Commission for Equality and Human Rights 1 27,400 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 1 61,000 
			 Department for Constitutional Affairs 1 24,600 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 1 63,100 
			 Department for Education and Science 1 59,200 
			 Department for Trade and Industry 1 63,100 
			 Department for Transport 1 61,000 
			 Department for Work and Pensions 1 57,700 
			 Department of Health 3 61,400 
			 Export Credit Guarantees Department 1 57,700 
			 HM Court Service 1 56,300 
			 HM Inspectorate Of Constabulary 2 61,500 
			 HM Revenue and Customs(2) 2 89,600 
			 HM Treasury(2) 2 92,800 
			 Home Office 2 137,000 
			 Northern Ireland Office 1 60,400 
			 Olympic Delivery Authority(3) 1 27,200 
			 Office of Government Commerce 1 52,800 
			 Office of Science and Technology 1 60,700 
			 (1) Figures for the Cabinet Office include the provision of an official car and driver for the Official Leader of the Opposition. Of the five cars and drivers that were provided during the year, one car and driver was provided for three months only. (2) One allocated car and driver transferred from HMRC to HM Treasury in August 2006. (3) GCDA services were provided to the Olympic Delivery Authority for five months only.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 6 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1268-69W, on heavy goods vehicles, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of heavy goods vehicle kilometres on roads accounted for by foreign heavy goods vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 25 February 2008
	There have been no further estimates made since 2003.

Lorries: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) deaths and  (b) major injuries were caused in 2006-07 by objects from unsecured freight vehicle loads falling onto people.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.

M1: Milton Keynes

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the impact of the Milton Keynes/South Midland growth area on the development of Junction 11a of the M1.

Tom Harris: The Milton Keynes/South Midlands growth area is included within the transport model used for the assessment of the A5-M1 link scheme and accordingly M1 Junction 11a which forms part of that scheme.

M1: Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the 50 mph temporary speed limit remained in force on the M1 motorway in the vicinity of junction 32 after all lanes were re-opened to traffic.

Tom Harris: The continued speed restrictions on the M1 Junctions 31 and 32 were kept in place until the final commissioning of the new electronic lane control signals was fully completed.
	The electronic signals and signs were fully commissioned on 19 February and the speed restrictions were removed on the morning of 20 February.

Marine Management Organisation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what licensing powers currently within her Department's responsibilities she expects to be transferred to the Marine Management Organisation, as proposed in the Marine Bill White Paper; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We intend to transfer to the proposed Marine Management Organisation responsibility for decisions on Harbour Revision and Harbour Empowerment Orders.

Motor Vehicles: Safety

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make the Code of Practice on Safety of Loads on Vehicles mandatory; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: While the Code is not a legal document and there are no plans to make it mandatory, it can be used as an example of good practice to support a prosecution for non compliance with regulations.

Network Rail: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has made to Network Rail on signal failures in the Portsmouth area in 2008; what steps Network Rail has taken to prevent signalling problems during major works at Easter; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State for Transport has made no representations to Network Rail on signal failures in the Portsmouth area in 2008. The prevention of signalling problems during major works at Easter is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London, NW1 2EE.

Northern Rail: Rolling Stock

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects refurbished rolling stock to be available for Northern Rail services on its Newcastle to Carlisle line; and when Pacer trains will be decommissioned.

Tom Harris: Decisions on deployment of rolling stock rest with the franchisee, Northern Rail. The department understands there are no plans to withdraw Pacer trains from service.

Parking Tickets

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Taunton of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1014-15W, on parking tickets, whether the figures provided include parking tickets issued on Government Car and Despatch Agency vehicles under lease to departments other than her Department at the time the ticket was issued.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The figures for the period 1999-2000 to 2006-07 quoted in the earlier reply include parking ticket costs for the entire Government Car and Despatch Agency's fleet, including those vehicles allocated to other Government Departments. Information before 1999-2000 is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Public Transport: Rural Areas

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to improve public transport links for those living in rural areas to nearby towns and cities.

Rosie Winterton: Local and central government are currently spending £2.5 billion a year on bus services, including those linking rural areas with nearby towns and cities. This total includes bus service operators grant (BSOG), the costs of mandatory concessionary fares, local authority subsidy of non-commercial services and capital expenditure on bus-related infrastructure schemes.
	It is for local authorities to decide which particular bus services to subsidise in their area and how much of the resources available to them to devote to supporting bus services.
	These resources include funding we have provided to local authorities in the form of rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG). This grant is currently supporting some 2,000 services many of which provide the vital links to nearby towns. A total of around 38 million passenger journeys are made annually on RBSG supported services. This year's allocations total £55.6 million, bringing the grant's total to nearly £450 million since its introduction in 1998.
	The Local Transport Bill, now before Parliament, will benefit rural areas and urban areas alike by modernising the regulatory framework for buses, giving local authorities a bigger role where this is necessary and providing strengthened arrangements for partnerships between local authorities and bus operators.
	The Bill also contains measures to expand the role of community transport and to enable private hire vehicle operators to provide local bus services, extending the existing taxibus provisions to this sector for the first time. Both these measures are of particular relevance to meeting rural transport needs.

Rail Accident Investigation Branch

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many external contracts the Rail Accidents Investigation Branch held with public relations companies in each year for which figures are available; and what the cost of those contracts was.

Tom Harris: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch was set up during 2005 and became fully operational from 17 October 2005. RAIB let a contract with Campaign Productions (Television Productions Ltd.) to produce a DVD for use by TV/media explaining the RAIB's role in investigating certain rail accidents and incidents. In financial year 2006-07, the cost was £13,618.15 and in FY 2007-08, the cost was £363.82.

Railways

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her strategy is for increasing  (a) passenger and  (b) freight capacity on the national rail network; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport's strategy for increasing passenger and freight capacity through record investment in the railway is set out in the 2007 White Paper, "Delivering a Sustainable Railway". A copy of this White Paper is available in the House Library.

Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the implications for heritage railways of the railways and other guided systems regulations; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is considering concerns raised by heritage railways about the application of the Railway and Other Guided Transport System (Safety) Regulations 2006. I expect to receive briefing from ORR in late March on progress in resolving these concerns.

Railways: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the potential for ultra light rail to deliver a low carbon transport option.

Tom Harris: The Department has not made such an assessment. We are aware of the claims made for the potential benefits of ultra light rail, but in order to assess these properly we would need to see a business case supporting its application in a specific location. Local authorities are welcome to submit innovative proposals to the Department for funding as pilot or demonstration schemes within the major scheme funding regime.

Railways: Llansamelet

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the Office of Rail Regulation visited railway track around Llansamelet station in 2006-07; and what assessment they made of public safety following those visits.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation made no visits to the railway track around Llansamlet railway station during 2006 or 2007. However, a Railway Inspectorate Contact Officer did visit the station in December 2007 to consider trespass risk.

Railways: Public Participation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to bring forward legislation to require Stakeholder Briefing Documents which lay out the specification against which bidders for future franchises are asked to submit their bids to include the results of a consultation exercise in which passengers have been consulted about their requirements, in accordance with the recommendations of the 14th Report of the Transport Committee on Passenger Franchising, Session 2005-06, HC 1354, para 34.

Tom Harris: The Government's response to the Select Committee's report (HC 265, published on 29 January 2007) explained that the Department for Transport already has a policy of consulting with a wide range of statutory and other bodies, including passenger representatives, before inviting tenders for passenger rail franchises. That remains our approach and we have no plans to legislate in this area.

Railways: Watford

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of people affected by the decision to terminate trains on the Watford to Brighton line at Clapham Junction from winter 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: A recent survey showed that an average of around 70 passengers (per train operated) would require to change trains at Clapham Junction. Many times that number of people will benefit from the implementation of the full Thameslink service that is made possible by the service change.

Roads

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the 1994 Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment report on trunk roads and the generation of traffic on the Department for Transport website.

Tom Harris: This is currently only available in paper format. We will scan this study and release it on the Department's website in March. We have identified a number of further reports, released before web publishing was the norm, which we will also release in electronic format alongside this SACTRA study.

Roads

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account her Department takes of the 1994 Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment report in their assessment of individual new road proposals.

Tom Harris: The Department has ensured that the findings of the 1994 report are reflected in assessments through advising promoters about appropriate modelling techniques. For the largest proposals, using multi-modal models means analysis takes account of the impacts of generated traffic in assessments. For smaller schemes, the Department has recommended the use of more proportionate but robust approaches.
	The specific guidance for road proposals is introduced in TAG Unit 2.9, 'Variable Demand ModellingAdvice Overview'. For the larger studies, the advice is introduced in TAG Unit 1.2.1, 'Multimodal Studies: Introduction to Guidance on Multi Modal Studies'. These are available at:
	http://www.webtag.org.uk.

Roads: Accidents

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the final report of the research study examining accident statistics on the trunk road network will be published; what assessment she has made of the results of the study for the continued use of stone mastic asphalt surfaces on roads; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency publishes an annual report on the safety performance of the trunk road network based on an examination of the road traffic accident statistics contained in a database of personal injury road accidents known as STATS19. This can be found at www.dft.gov.uk. The current report, Accidents on the trunk road network - 2006, was published in October 2007.
	The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) research report, 'Early Life Skid Resistance - An Assessment of Accident Risk', pertaining to the use of 'bespoke' proprietary thin surfacings on the trunk roads has been delivered to the Highways Agency to consider its recommendations and conclusions. The report will be available to the public and the highway authorities through TRL from April onwards. Stone mastic asphalt is not used on the trunk road network.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department is undertaking on the modelling criteria for  (a) new and  (b) widened roads; what timescale is being applied to this work; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department expects modelling for schemes to be robust and advice on criteria forms part of the New Approach to Appraisal. For road schemes, the details can be found on the transport analysis website at:
	http://www.webtag.org.uk/
	and also in the Highways Agency's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to improve roads in the Dorset area; and what funds are available for such improvements.

Rosie Winterton: For the South West region, the Government have provided almost 865 million, through the Regional Funding Allocation (RFA), to be spent between 2007-08 and 2015-16 for regionally significant transport schemes, including road investment.
	The region undertook a prioritisation exercise and the following road schemes within Dorset are currently programmed for funding:
	
		
			  Scheme  Scheme sponsor  DFT contribution ( million) 
			 Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative Poole 13 
			 A354 Wey mouth Relief Road Dorset 71 
			 SE Dorset Bus Showcase Corridors, potentially including some road improvements SE Dorset 15 
		
	
	Additionally, the DFT has provided the following non-ringfenced capital allocations for the three years from 2008-09 to 2010-10 for routine highway maintenance in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset:
	
		
			  000 
			  Authority  2008-09  2009-10  20010-11  2008-09 to 2010-11 
			 Bournemouth 932 1,025 1,179 3,135 
			 Dorset 8,619 9,267 10,032 27,919 
			 Poole 1,314 1,413 1,530 4,258 
			 Whole of Dorset area 10,865 11,706 12,741 35,312 
			  
			 Percentage of regional total 9.9 10.2 10.1 10.1 
		
	
	The Highways Agency is responsible for the A31 and A35 through the Dorset area. There are currently no plans for improvements to the A31 within Dorset. However, on the A35 there are proposals to improve the capacity at three roundabouts before the 2012 Olympics. They are as follows:
	
		
			  Route  Improvement  Estimated cost ( million) 
			 A35 Weymouth Road Stadium roundabout 1.8 
			 A35 Stinsford roundabout 0.7 
			 A35 Bere Regis roundabout 0.3 
			 Total  2.8

Salisbury Station

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she received proposals from South West Trains under the Network Modifications (Closures) regime contained in the Railway Act 2005 to close the travel centre at Salisbury station; and when she expects to announce her decision.

Tom Harris: The proposal was received by the Department on 20 November 2007. The decision to approve this minor modification has been made. The determination was issued on 25 February.

Sea Rescue: Northern Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effects on maritime safety and rescue in and around Northern Ireland waters of the decision of the Irish Republic to close the coast guard stations in Donegal; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effects on measures against illegal and illicit shipping in and around Northern Ireland waters of the decision of the Irish Republic to close the coast guard stations in Donegal; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Should the Irish authorities decide to close coastguard stations in Donegal, provision of maritime search and rescue services in the waters around Northern Ireland will be unaffected. HM Coastguard will continue to provide 24 hr co-ordination of Search and Rescue in and around Northern Ireland waters from its station in Bangor.
	Regular operational search and rescue liaison meetings are held between HM Coastguard and the Irish Coast Guard.

Seas and Oceans: Legislation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she last discussed the Marine Bill with her Cabinet colleagues; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend regularly participates in Cabinet discussions on all aspects of the legislative programme, including the Marine Bill.

South West Trains

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of decreasing the mainline express stock on the Portsmouth to Waterloo mainline outside peak hours.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has made no such assessment and is not aware of any off-peak capacity issues on this particular route.

Transport: Voluntary Work

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the merits of moving from a system of local authority grants for the provision of volunteer transport services to a system of contracts.

Rosie Winterton: It is for local authorities to make decisions on how they procure or support volunteer transport services, taking into account the legislative framework and their local circumstances. Information is available to local authorities about volunteer transport services, including a review commissioned by the Department of voluntary transport and carried out in close association with the Community Transport Association.

Waterborne Freight Grant

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget was for, and what payments were made under, the waterborne freight grant in each year since its inception.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Prior to 2007, the Department funded both the waterborne freight grant (resource) and water freight facilities grant (capital) schemes from a budget of between 8-12 million.
	In April 2007, the mode neutral sustainable distribution fund (SDF) was created to fund rail and water freight grants and road efficiency schemes. 18.5 million of resource and 7 million of capital funding has been available from the SDF this year.
	No waterborne freight grants have been awarded by the Department since the scheme's inception in 2004. This is not due to a lack of available budget but to the fact that potential applicants have difficulty in satisfying constraints imposed by the European Commission when the Government sought State Aids clearance. These require schemes to be viable without grant support within a three-year period.
	The Department for Transport is currently reviewing the waterborne freight grant scheme.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Sub-Committee on Health and Wellbeing

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will include subjective wellbeing in the terms of reference of the Sub-Committee on Health and Wellbeing.

Phil Hope: The terms of reference of the Sub-Committee on Health and Wellbeing already enable it to discuss subjective wellbeing.

V: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much matching funding his Department has channelled through the charity V to date.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 743W.

OLYMPICS

Humanitarian Aid

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was spent on domestic humanitarian assistance in each of the last three years, broken down by source budget.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 20 February 2008
	In my answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, column 136W, to the hon. Member I set out the budget for the Humanitarian Assistance Unit in each of the last three years. It is not possible to split this budget up in terms of support for domestic incidents and support for international incidents.
	The funding for the Humanitarian Assistance Unit all comes from the budget allocated to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unmanned aerial vehicles have been lost or destroyed in Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Des Browne: A total of 27 Desert Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles operated by UK forces in Afghanistan have been lost in the past 12 months. This number reflects the high operational tasking of this system. We continue to refine our operational procedures to minimise the loss rate, but it is inevitable that some losses will occur.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget change in his Department will be in each year of the 2008 to 2011 Comprehensive Spending Review period in cash terms.

Bob Ainsworth: The near-cash budget in nominal terms (equivalent to direct resource DEL plus capital DEL) for each year of the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period is set out in table D14 of the CSR White Paper (Cm 7227), published in October 2007. For ease of reference the table is included as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Budget ( million)  Change on previous year 
			 2007-08 baseline 29,411  
			 2008-09 30,763 1,352 
			 2010-11 31,921 1,158 
			 2011-12 33,628 1,707

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1032W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, how many of the media assignments facilitated since April 2007 were for a single media outlet or organisation; and from which exclusive access to information arose.

Des Browne: Our records indicate that of the 52 media assignments to Iraq since April, 45 were for single individuals or media outlets. The others were group visits. All programmes take account of the operational situation at the time, security requirements and the preferences of the individual journalist or organisation and therefore differ from visit to visit.

Territorial Army: Recruitment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the decision to restrict recruiting for certain units in the Territorial Army over the next two financial years remains in place.

Bob Ainsworth: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 20 February 2008,  Official Report, column 703W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Members: Correspondence

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 608W, on territorial waters: Northern Ireland, when he expects to write to the hon. Member for Thurrock; and if he will explain the reason for the delay.

Paul Goggins: I am sorry that it is taking a significant amount of time to prepare a response. The issue raised by the hon. Member are complex and cover both transferred and reserved matters.
	Under Schedule 3 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 the foreshore, sea bed and subsoil and their natural resources (except so far as affecting harbours) are reserved matters. Thus, marine nature conservation in the territorial waters is the responsibility of the Secretary of State. However, at operational level, his functions are carried out by the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland (Environment and Heritage Service).
	Given the delay, I would be happy to meet with the hon. Member to discuss the issue in more detail.

WALES

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the written ministerial statement by the Secretary of State for Defence on 31 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 24-26WS, on the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme/BORONA programme, how many new net jobs Package 1 of the programme will be created in Wales.

Paul Murphy: The precise number of jobs to be created during the construction and operational phases of the project will not be known until current contractual negotiations between the MOD and Metrix have been completed.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Paul Murphy: In the fiscal year 2006-07, five working days were lost by Wales Office staff to stress-related conditions.

Environment Protection

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what environmental protection matters were discussed at the British-Irish Council Meeting on 14 February; and what agreements were made.

Paul Murphy: The British-Irish Council (BIC), held its 10th summit meeting on 14 February at the Royal hospital Kilmainham, in Dublin, Ireland. It is customary for each summit to focus on a single theme. The focus of this summit was on misuse of drugs, which is a workstream led by the Irish Government. The next summit meeting will be held in Edinburgh in September 2008.
	The UK leads the Environment Workstream and the last ministerial meeting was held in Northern Ireland on 1 February 2008. At that meeting, it was agreed that BIC should continue to intensify co-operation and exchange of information between the members on a number of important environmental areas including unavoidable climate change, understanding extreme weather events, integrated coastal zone management and managing radioactive waste. The next ministerial meeting of the BIC Environment will take place in Jersey in 2009.

Young People: Advisory Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the use of the additional funding provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families for  (a) Connexions services and  (b) the Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government on all issues concerning education, including the provision of skills and opportunities for young people.
	Connexions services are for England only. In Wales, Careers Wales, an independent organisation funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, provides this service. It has six local delivery companies providing a comprehensive careers advice and guidance service to people of all ages, operating across the Welsh regions. Similarly, the Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds programmes also apply to England only. Youth service in Wales is provided through the Welsh Assembly Government via the National Youth Service Strategy, published in March last year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with President Karzai on the appointment of a UN Secretary General Special Representative in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 26 February 2008
	The appointment of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Afghanistan is primarily a matter for the UN Secretary-General.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the matter with President Karzai during his visit to Afghanistan with US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, on 8 February 2008. On 25 January 2008, in the margins of the World Economic Forum at Davos, the matter was also discussed at a meeting between President Karzai, my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development.
	As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said to the House in his statement on Afghanistan on 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 307,
	Britain continues to push for the next step in this process: the appointment of a strong, UN envoy to bring greater coherence across the international effort in security, governance and developmentand in relations with the Afghan government.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he anticipates that a Provincial Reconstruction Team will be established in  (a) Dai Kundi and  (b) Nimroz provinces in Afghanistan.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 22 February 2008
	The establishment of provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-led process. The NATO Statement of Requirements identifies a need for PRTs in both Dai Kundi and Nimroz Provinces. There are no concrete plans at present to establish such PRTs.

Burma: Constitution

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his UN Security Council counterparts on the referendum on the constitution in Burma in May 2008; and what role the UN is likely to play in monitoring the conduct of the referendum.

Kim Howells: The UN Security Council has not yet discussed the constitutional referendum announced by the Burmese regime for May 2008. The UN Secretary-General hosted a meeting of the Group of Friends of Burma on 13 February which discussed the announcement. During the meeting, the UK and other members of the Security Council expressed concern that the proposed referendum would not be inclusive or genuine. The Group of Friends pressed for the early return of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Burma, Professor Gambari, to help facilitate national reconciliation and a genuine democratic process.
	We will continue to work with our partners in the region, and in the Security Council, to bring about genuine progress towards democracy, national reconciliation and respect for human rights in Burma.
	There are currently no plans for the UN to monitor the elections.

Burma: Diplomatic Service

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the EU Special Envoy to Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Meg Munn) met EU Special Envoy for Burma, Piero Fassino, at the margins of the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations summit on 22 November 2007 and hopes to be meeting him again in the near future, to discuss all aspects of the current situation in Burma, including the EU's role in supporting UN efforts to bring about a genuine process of national reconciliation which includes all Burma's opposition and ethnic groups.

Burma: Elections

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support democratic elections in Burma.

Kim Howells: The UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to bring about inclusive national reconciliation and the establishment of accountable, civilian government in Burma.
	As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the UK has maintained the pressure for political change through active UN engagement and ensured that Burma remains on the Security Council's agenda. The UK is also a member of the UN Secretary-General's Group of Friends on Burma, which last met on 13 February. The group discussed the regime's recent call for a referendum in May 2008 and elections in 2010. We stressed the need for the regime to demonstrate fundamental change before there could be international support for the process. The Group of Friends pressed for the early return of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Burma, Professor Gambari, to help facilitate national reconciliation and a genuine democratic process.
	In the EU, we have played a leading role in securing firm language on the newly announced referendum and election process at the February General Affairs and External Relations Council. The conclusions stated that only a process that involves the full participation of the opposition and ethnic groups will lead to national reconciliation and stability in Burma. The EU reiterated its call for the release of Aung Sang Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
	We keep in close contact with partners in the region, including the Association of South East Asian Nations, to build up constructive pressure on the Burmese government and their continued engagement on the Burma related issues. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised Burma with the Chinese and Indians on his recent visits to both countries. My right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Meg Munn, also reiterated our concerns to the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 February.

Burma: Elections

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Government of Burma on the banning of the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from standing in the 2010 election.

Kim Howells: We have consistently made clear that only an inclusive process of national reconciliation can bring stability and prosperity to the country. The regime's attempts to exclude Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the political process are alarming and will exacerbate tension and instability in Burma. In our contacts with the military government, and those who have influence over them, we are stressing the need for all political actors, including Aung San Suu Kyi, to be allowed to play their full part in shaping the country's future.

Burma: Sanctions

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the introduction of financial sanctions against companies associated with Burma's military regime.

Kim Howells: Discussions are ongoing, mainly at senior official level.
	The EU listed companies with links to the military regime in its new package of measures agreed in October 2007.
	EU member states are currently considering further restrictive measures against Burma, including a possible ban on all new investment and the imposition of restrictions on financial measures.
	The UK is actively working with our EU partners to ensure a full discussion of further restrictive measures as agreed at the October 2007 General Affairs and External Relations Council.

Burma: Sequestration of Assets

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Singapore on the freezing of the financial assets of Burmese leaders held in accounts in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Meg Munn, spoke to the Singaporean Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 2(nd) Permanent Private Secretary Bilahari Kausikan, on 18 February to discuss recent developments in Burma.
	Singapore, both nationally and in its current role as Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair, has made clear its concerns about the violent repression carried out by the Burmese authorities last year, its wish to see the regime engaging in genuine dialogue with Burma's opposition parties, and its support for the UN Secretary-General's goodwill mission. But Singapore and its ASEAN partners do not support the application of sanctions at this time. We continue to discuss this and other aspects of the Burma situation with the Singaporean government on a regular basis.

Cuba: Elections

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to support the US Administration in its efforts to campaign for democratic elections in Cuba.

Kim Howells: The UK and US share the same goal of transition to democracy in Cuba. UK policy is based on a 1996 European Common Position, which states that:
	The main objective of the European Union in its relations with Cuba is to encourage a process of peaceful transition to a pluralistic democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as improvement in the living standards of the Cuban people
	and that
	the EU will intensify the present dialogue with the Cuban authorities and with all sectors of Cuban society.

Cuba: Politics and Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of the resignation of Fidel Castro.

Kim Howells: We do not envisage the resignation of Fidel Castro leading to major change in Cuba. UK policy remains unchanged and has been based on the EU Common Position since 1996. This policy aims to encourage a peaceful transition to pluralist democracy, greater respect for human rights and unconditional release of all political prisoners.

Cuba: Sanctions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the sanctions imposed upon Cuba by the US Administration.

Kim Howells: The UK does not support US economic sanctions on Cuba and makes its opposition to them clear through its Annual vote at the United Nations General Assembly. The last vote took place on 30 October 2007. The sanctions have had little positive impact on the regime. The UK and the US share the same goal over Cuba, transition to democracy, but differ on how to achieve it. The UK, through the framework of the EU Common Position, engages in dialogue with the Cuban Government and aims to encourage a peaceful transition to pluralist democracy, greater respect for human rights and unconditional release of all political prisoners.

Cuba: Sanctions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration on sanctions on Cuba.

Kim Howells: The UK and the US discuss developments in Cuba regularly. The UK makes its opposition to the US embargo on Cuba clear through our vote every year at the United Nations General Assembly. The last vote took place on 30 October 2007. We also frequently reiterate our position through diplomatic channels with senior US representatives and will continue to do so.

Departmental Internet

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1609W, on Departmental internet, what measures are in place to monitor and record the location of computers with access to his Department's intranet.

Jim Murphy: Full access to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office intranet (FCONet) is only possible using the FCO's secure IT infrastructure. This is regularly monitored, but it would be inappropriate to disclose these arrangements in detail. Staff working outside FCO buildings may also access a limited form of FCONet through the internet. Staff may use any external computer to do this and the FCO therefore does not monitor the location of these terminals. Control of this limited access is by user authentication (password) and, where necessary, checking transaction records.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Murphy: Stress-related illness accounted for 8.5 per cent. of all working days lost to sickness absence by staff at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 2007.
	The FCO recognises the importance of identifying and reducing sources of stress in the workplace. Our occupational stress policy, which aims to protect staff health and welfare, gives detailed guidance for staff and managers. The FCO also offers welfare support for staff and families, who may be suffering from stress, including access to a 24/7 counselling service.

Diplomatic Services: Forced Marriage

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidelines are issued to consular and embassy staff in relation to the handling of suspected cases of  (a) forced and  (b) arranged marriages; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no role in relation to arranged marriages, where the families take a leading role in arranging the marriage but the choice whether or not to accept the arrangement remains with the spouses. But forced marriage, where one or both spouses do not consent to the marriage and some element of duress is involved, is wholly unacceptable. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes forced marriage very seriously. If necessary, we will assist and repatriate British nationals forced into marriage overseas.
	Consular staff overseas and staff of the Forced Marriage Unit, are trained to assist victims and potential victims of forced marriage. They are provided with written guidance on case handling.

Eastern Europe: Human Trafficking

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in  (a) Ukraine,  (b) Belarus and  (c) Moldova on the combating of illegal migration and human trafficking.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had recent discussions with his counterparts in Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova on these issues. However, we remain concerned about all forms of human trafficking globally and are committed to tackling it wherever possible. The issue is raised regularly at EU Councils and is discussed at both ministerial and official level between EU partners. In addition, UK law enforcement agencies work closely with foreign counterparts in many source and transit countries, helping them to build enforcement capacity and to facilitate information exchanges. At the recent UN-Office on Drugs and Crime's Global Initiative on Fighting Trafficking forum held in Vienna, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Coaker) represented the Government, along with participants from the UK Human Trafficking Centre and HM Revenue and Customs.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the effect of the dispute concerning compulsory redundancies among the locally-engaged staff at the UK Embassy in Dublin on the UK's reputation in Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Irish media coverage has reflected the fact that these redundancies were driven by UK Trade and Investment's wider restructuring of their global network in line with new strategic priorities; that our embassy in Dublin has acted in accordance with Irish Labour Law throughout; and that the redundancy package the embassy has offered reflects good employer practice.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason HM Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland declined to attend talks at the Labour Relations Commission in connection with the proposed compulsory redundancy of locally-engaged staff at the UK Embassy in Dublin; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Labour Relations Commission had offered its conciliation services to discuss proposed redundancies at our embassy in Dublin. Since the redundancies had already been effected, our ambassador declined the offer.
	Our embassy and Unite, acting on behalf of the embassy's Local Staff Association, reached a mutually satisfactory agreement on the consequences for staff of the restructuring of the UK Trade and Investment section on 21 February.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long the UK Embassy in Dublin has recognised the Unite trade union for industrial relations purposes in connection with the employment of locally-engaged staff; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Jim Murphy: The procedural agreement between our embassy in Dublin and Unite trade union was signed in 2003.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the agreed negotiations procedures and  (b) the recognition agreement between the UK ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and the Unite trade union in relation to the employment of and industrial relations relating to locally-engaged staff at the UK embassy in Dublin.

Jim Murphy: A copy of the Procedural Agreement will be placed in the Library of the House.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff it is proposed to make redundant at the UK embassy to the Republic of Ireland; how many of these will be compulsory redundancies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Three compulsory redundancies were made recently at our embassy in Dublin, as a result of UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) wider restructuring of their global network in line with their strategic priorities.
	Our embassy and Unite, acting on behalf of the embassy's Local Staff Association, reached a mutually satisfactory agreement on the consequences for staff of the restructuring of the UKTI Section on 21 February.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many years each member of locally-engaged staff proposed for redundancy at the UK embassy in Dublin has served; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The three locally-engaged staff members at our embassy in Dublin had served for eight, six and four years when they were made redundant.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regard was paid to  (a) length of service,  (b) sex,  (c) opportunities for retraining and  (d) other factors when considering which locally-engaged staff at the UK embassy in Dublin should be proposed for redundancy.

Jim Murphy: Three compulsory redundancies were made recently at our embassy in Dublin, as a result of UK Trade and Investment's wider restructuring of their global network in line with their strategic priorities.
	The redundancy package offered reflected the different lengths of service involved. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is an equal opportunities employer: gender was not a factor. The embassy looked at the opportunities for redeployment, which might have involved retraining, but there were none.

Embassies: Republic of Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date and by whom the decision to make locally-engaged staff at the UK Embassy in Dublin redundant was taken; on what date this decision was first communicated to the Unite trade union; on what date consultations with the Unite trade union commenced; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The decision of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) management in London to restructure the UKTI Section at our Embassy in Dublin was confirmed to the staff involved by the Ambassador on 11 January. Staff contacted the Unite trade union the same day and consultations began on 22 January.
	Our Embassy and Unite, the union acting on behalf of the Embassy's Local Staff Association, reached a mutually satisfactory agreement on the consequences for staff of the restructuring of the UKTI Section on 21 February.

Entry Clearances

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance he has issued to visa sections on queue management of visa applicants and the prevention of unauthorised and unofficial queue managers, brokers and agents.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 February 2008
	The Operating Standards and Instructions issued by UKvisas to our posts abroad do not contain specific guidance on queue management, but instead offer suggestions on how procedures can be implemented and how problems should be addressed depending upon conditions and circumstances. Several ideas are mentioned to help alleviate the problems associated with queues, such as use of ticketing machines. UKvisas has recently expanded its commercial partnerships overseas. Most applications are now submitted at Visa Application Centres, in many cases by appointment. The need for applicants to arrive early to queue has been significantly reduced and, in some cases, removed.
	Additionally, entry clearance managers are advised to monitor public reception areas regularly to ensure the best possible standards of customer service and conduct are maintained and to identify sudden surges in the volume of visa applications so that prompt action can be taken to avoid a build up of queues. All staff are required to sign the code of conduct which states that staff must
	behave in a manner that demonstrates their complete impartiality and professionalism in dealing with visa applications
	so that, among other things, no favouritism is shown to one applicant above another.
	A copy of these instructions is available on the UKvisas website, www.ukvisas.gov.uk

Equatorial Guinea: Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often it is planned that Simon Mann's welfare in Black Beach prison will be monitored by visits from UK representatives.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 February 2008
	Our deputy high commission in Lagos provides consular assistance to British nationals in Equatorial Guinea. In line with our consular policy, consular officials from Lagos will aim to visit Mr. Mann regularly and we are ready to provide further consular assistance to Mr. Mann including with regard to his treatment and welfare.

Eritrea: Religious Freedom

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the treatment of religious minorities in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 26 February 2008
	We monitor events in Eritrea closely and remain deeply concerned by reports of detentions of members of minority churches. While Orthodox Christians, Catholics and the major Protestant Churches (who make up an estimated 40-50 per cent. of the population of Eritrea) are usually able to worship openly, some church activities can be restricted and members of smaller churches are not free to pursue their faith.
	This is unacceptable and contravenes international human rights agreements to which Eritrea is a party. Eritrea should allow all its citizens to worship as they wish, as set out in Article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
	Our ambassador in Asmara raises these issues with the Eritrean government at every suitable opportunity. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials do likewise with the Eritrean embassy in the UK. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, personally raised the issue of human rights abuses in Eritrea with the Eritrean ambassador on 18 February.

European External Action Service

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what preparatory work has been undertaken by his Department on the European External Action Service since 1 June 2005;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the European External Action Service; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Castle Point of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 968W, on the European External Action Service, whether any meetings on the organisation and funding of the European External Action Service have taken place;
	(4)  what meetings he plans to hold with European counterparts to discuss the organisation and funding of the European external action service in 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how many of his Department's staff will be seconded to the European External Action Service in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what criteria will be used to nominate staff from his Department for secondment to the European External Action Service;
	(7)  what role personnel from his Department will play in the establishment and work of the European External Action Service;
	(8)  what estimate he has made of the size of the  (a) staff establishment and  (b) budget of the European External Action Service in each of the next three years.

David Miliband: There have been no discussions at ministerial or working level on the detailed organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The functioning and organisation of the EEAS will be the subject of negotiation among the member states before a final, unanimous decision to launch the service, after the Lisbon treaty enters force.
	Negotiations are due to start later this year and no decision has been taken on the size, structure or funding of the EEAS, or of the criteria used to nominate staff for secondment to the EEAS.

FCO Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take if the FCO Services Trading Fund does not attract sufficient third party income.

Meg Munn: Income from third parties is a relatively small proportion of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services business. It is considered unlikely that FCO Services will not attract sufficient third party income; however, if projected growth is not achieved, FCO Services has well conceived contingency plans for cost reduction and can scale down investment plans if necessary to meet down turns in third party opportunities.

FCO Services: Data Protection

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he has put in place to ensure that personal data held by the FCO Services Trading Fund are kept securely.

Meg Munn: Data security in Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services receives the closest attention and care. The FCO and FCO Services have implemented the latest Cabinet Office guidance on storing personal data. FCO Services makes a unique selling point of its secure services, so security is at the heart of everything it does.
	The organisation holds and processes personal data for a number of reasons and strong measures are in place to protect all data. Systems are only deployed after Government security accreditation has been completed.
	Security measures and accreditation include, but are not limited to, the following:
	All sensitive data are held in secure conditions.
	Systems are managed according to Government protective data marking.
	Data transmission is minimised to essential levels and takes place across encrypted and protected networks.
	In limited circumstances, data are transported by disk, but only when passwords or data encryption techniques are applied. Carriage is consistent with FCO policy.
	Legitimate access to systems is restricted to authorised users by electronic and physical assurance processes.
	Audit processes are in place to oversee the effectiveness of the information security policy and data access is monitored by an independent security function.
	Laptops and hand held devices used for confidential data are installed with especially accredited and encrypted disks and secure communications facilities. Other laptops with unencrypted discs are used only for less sensitive material.

Human Trafficking

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to work with other governments to reduce levels of human trafficking.

Jim Murphy: We remain concerned about all forms of human trafficking globally and are committed to tackling it wherever possible. The issue is raised regularly at EU Councils and is discussed at both ministerial and official level between EU partners. The Government's ratification of Albania's EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which will help reduce human trafficking and smuggling in the Balkans region, is a good example of our commitment to working with other governments. In addition, UK law enforcement agencies work closely with foreign counterparts in many source and transit countries, helping them to build enforcement capacity and to facilitate information exchanges; an initiative is currently taking place in a number of EU countries, led by the UK and Poland, under the auspices of the G6. The Government also part-funded the secondment of two Romanian police officers into a Metropolitan Police joint unit to exchange experience, skills and knowledge in the fight against the criminal exploitation and trafficking of Romanian children to the UK.
	The Government raise human trafficking issues more widely at bilateral and international meetings beyond the EU. At the recent UN-Office on Drugs and Crime's Global Initiative on Fighting Trafficking forum held in Vienna, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Coaker) represented the Government, along with participants from the UK Human Trafficking Centre and HM Revenue and Customs.

Iran: Capital Punishment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the government of Iran in respect of human rights arising from specific instance of capital punishment carried out in Iran in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government remain deeply concerned by the increasing use of capital punishment in Iran. We regularly make representations to the Government of Iran, in our bilateral contacts and through the EU, to express general concern about the use of the death penalty in Iran and to raise individual execution cases. In 2007, the EU presidency did this on more than 20 occasions in both meetings and public statements. The EU has issued two further declarations on the death penalty in Iran already this year. We also discuss human rights issues bilaterally with Iranian officials in London and Tehran. In the last 12 months we have raised serious concerns about the use of death penalty on seven separate occasions. This has included specific instances when capital punishment has been carried out in Iran, for example the executions of Mohammad Moussavi, Jafar Kiani, Makwan Moloudzadeh and Mohammad Reza Tork.

Iran: Capital Punishment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the circumstances surrounding executions conducted in Iran in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are extremely worried by the growing numbers of executions taking place in Iran. We understand that approximately 300 executions were carried out in 2007, compared with 177 in 2006 and 94 in 2005. This has included growing numbers of public and collective executions (eg the execution of two men in central Tehran in August 2007), and the first confirmed execution by stoning for five years in July 2007. Iran continues to execute juvenile offendersat least four were put to death in 2007. We have concerns that not all death sentences are the result of a fair trial and that capital punishment continues to be applied for charges such as adultery, rape and drug related offences. The Government will continue to raise concerns with the Iranian authorities about executions and the use of the death penalty in Iran. We will continue to press Iran to uphold its international human rights obligations including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which states that
	in countries which have not abolished the death penalty, the sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes
	and that
	no-one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
	The EU presidency, with strong UK support, has issued two statements about the use of the death penalty in Iran this year.

Kenya: Security

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the safety of UK citizens living and working in Kenya following recent events in that country.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2008
	While calm has returned to most areas in Kenya, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) assesses that the security situation in the country remains highly volatile. The unpredictable nature of the current situation could lead to further outbreaks of violence. The FCO travel advice for Kenya remains under constant review. A full copy of the latest FCO travel advice is available at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/travel/kenya.
	We are advising British nationals in Kenya to exercise extreme caution and avoid all public gatherings and meetings. British nationals intending to travel to Kenya should regularly check the travel advice. An easy way to do this is to subscribe at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/travel
	to receive free travel advice updates via email alerts. To ensure we can effectively communicate any changes in travel advice and other relevant information, British nationals in Kenya are urged to register with our high commission in Nairobi. The FCO has been in regular contact with British tour operators about the situation in Kenya and our travel advice.
	Like many other British diplomatic missions, our high commission in Nairobi holds a civil contingency plan. In compiling civil contingency plans, the FCO's objective is to protect British nationals in a situation that poses a serious threat to their safety and, in a worst case scenario, to assist their departure to a place of safety. As part of this process, FCO missions continually assess the risk to British nationals and plan accordingly. Our high commission in Nairobi's civil contingency plan was reviewed and updated in February 2008.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the constitutional and democratic reform process in the Maldives; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, has personally emphasised to President Gayoom the need to keep the reform process on track and the importance of the elections due this year being seen as free, fair, inclusive and enjoying the support of all the people of Maldives. As I made clear to the House during a debate on Maldives on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 935-42, we do not underestimate the challenges Maldives faces moving from a political system based heavily on patronage and state control to multi-party liberal democracy.
	Officials from our High Commission resident in Colombo visit Maldives periodically. The UK has made clear our continued support for the reform process and willingness to provide practical support if that is the wish of the political parties in Maldives. We continue to underline the need for good faith among all political parties and for all to redouble efforts to implement democratic change in Maldives.

Overseas Trade

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to promote UK industry and business through UK Trade and Industry in the Caribbean, Central America and South East Asia.

Kim Howells: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) operates an extensive network overseas that offers a full range of services to help British companies access business opportunities including in the Caribbean, Latin America and South East Asia. In line with UKTI's five-year strategy Prosperity in a Changing World, key high-growth markets in South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam) have benefited from additional resources to help achieve a step change in the UK's profile.

Pakistan: Elections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has received representations on the number of candidates from religious minorities in the elections in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has had discussions with the Pakistani government on the political representation of minorities in Pakistan.

Kim Howells: holding answer 26 February 2008
	In our regular contact with the Government of Pakistan at ministerial and official level, bilaterally and through the EU, we have stressed the need for free and fair elections. The elections, which took place on 18 February, were an opportunity for the people of Pakistan to exercise their democratic voice and participate fully in the process of electing their new government. We welcome the EU electoral observer mission (EOM) report, released on 20 February, which assessed that the elections were competitive, despite the well-documented procedural problems.
	We will want to work with the new government to help build the institutional framework necessary for a sustained democratic transition and ensure that the fundamental rights of all Pakistani citizens particularly the most vulnerable (women, minorities and children) are guaranteed as laid down in the Constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international human rights standards. An important part of this will be addressing the weaknesses in the electoral system identified in the EU EOM's report.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials recently met with representatives from the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, a non-governmental organisation working on behalf of Christians in Pakistan, as part of our ongoing engagement with stakeholder communities. Officials remain in regular contact with them on minority religious rights issues.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received on whether Mr. Simon Mann is being held in shackles in Black Beach prison.

Kim Howells: Consular officials visited Mr. Mann in Black Beach prison on 12 February. He was being held in shackles at this time. Our deputy high commission in Lagos which provides consular assistance to British nationals in Equatorial Guinea, has urgently taken the matter up with the Equatorial Guinean authorities.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria he will apply in deciding whether or not Mr. Simon Mann is being treated well in detention; and what specific conditions of treatment Mr. Mann should be entitled to to meet those criteria.

Kim Howells: We are providing consular assistance to Mr. Mann, including with regard to his treatment and welfare. In considering whether he is being treated well, the Government will refer to international instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Equatorial Guinea is a party. We will also refer to non-binding instruments, such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules on the Treatment of Prisoners, that provide guidance for appropriate conditions of detention.

South Africa: Power Failures

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of South Africa on the hardship caused to the citizens of that country and adjoining nation states as a result of recent substantial power cuts affecting the region.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 February 2008
	The government of South Africa is acutely aware of the impact of power cuts and our high commission in Pretoria is following the situation. In his 20 February budget, Finance Minister Manuel allocated a further 60 billion Rand for energy infrastructure investment. The South African government has also committed itself to launch a large-scale energy saving campaign in the near future. At the Southern Africa Development Community Energy Ministers meeting last week, South Africa agreed to honour her contractual obligations with regard to the power supply to the rest of the region.

Treaty of Lisbon

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with his EU counterparts on the operation of the proposed investigatory powers in the Lisbon Treaty.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 26 February 2008
	Both my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I, as well as our ministerial colleagues in the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, have regular discussions with our EU counterparts on a wide range of EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) issues, including the JHA provisions of the Lisbon treaty.
	The UK has secured an across-the-board opt-in on all JHA issues. We will not opt-in to any proposal that is not in the UK national interest.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Criminal Investigation

David Taylor: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what guidance is available on the conduct of criminal investigations involving hon. Members by the police within the precincts of the parliamentary estate.

Nick Harvey: The Serjeant at Arms is always consulted regarding criminal investigations involving hon. Members which may involve police officers entering the parliamentary estate. The Metropolitan police acts as a conduit for matters involving other forces. In general, such issues are dealt with away from the parliamentary estate. The conduct of the inquiry would be a matter for the investigating force, however, the Serjeant is always concerned to ensure that no action should be taken within the estate which would be detrimental to the status and reputation of Parliament. No formal guidance exists but Mr. Speaker or the Clerk of the House would be consulted in exceptional circumstances.

Hearing Impaired

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what services are provided within the parliamentary estate for hon. Members to facilitate meetings with constituents who are deaf; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: There are deaf loop facilities in all Committee Rooms in the Palace and in all Committee and Conference Rooms on the first floor of Portcullis House. Portable equipment is available for the smaller meeting rooms in both buildings. Deaf loop facilities are also provided in the Public Gallery of the House of Commons Chamber and in Westminster Hall Chamber.
	When sign language facilities are required in meeting rooms, House staff liaise closely with the Member concerned to ensure that the best possible solution is achieved for the deaf person and the sign language interpreter, depending on which room is being used.
	The House provides advice and assistance to Members, but does not meet the cost of providing sign language interpreter services directly from central funds. Members are entitled to reclaim the costs incurred in engaging and using interpreter services from their individual Incidental Expenses Provision. This is set out explicitly in the Green Book which states, in section 5.13.2, on Incidental Expenses Provision, that an allowable expenditure would be:
	Interpreting and translation services (this includes sign language, interpretation and Braille translation).
	The Diversity Manager in the Department of Resources can provide contact details at the RNID for obtaining sign language interpreter services, which cost between 120 and 160 for a two hour period.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Actis Capital LLP

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what value the Shareholder Executive currently places on its 40 per cent. share of Actis Capital LLP; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department of International Development (DFID) holds the 40 per cent. share of Actis LLP and this is managed, on its behalf, by the Shareholder Executive within BERR.
	Although a valuation was commissioned prior to the set up of Actis, the Shareholder Executive has not undertaken any subsequent valuation of the 40 per cent. share. However it is understood that the value of DFID's investment in Actis, reflected in DFID's resource accounts, is 1.677 million.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Management

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the UK has fully implemented the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive; and what steps he is taking to ensure the continuing compliance with WEEE obligations.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 25 February 2008
	The waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive was transposed into UK law on 12 December 2006. The transposition into UK law centred on the requirement to establish a system of collective responsibility for the collection, treatment, reprocessing and environmentally sound disposal of historical WEEEthat is electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) placed on the UK market before 13 August 2005
	Further consideration will be given to the transposition of article 8.2 of the directive, which requires the introduction of individual producer responsibility (IPR) for all EEE placed on the market after 13 August 2005. This will include discussion with the Commission and other member states on the precise requirement of this article and the practical consideration for the introduction of an effective and cost-efficient system.
	The Government have established the WEEE Advisory Body (WAB), an independent non-governmental public body to provide advice on the issues arising from the implementation and operation of the UK WEEE system. One area for consideration will be recommendations by the WAB on how the UK can move to a system of IPR.
	The Department will be monitoring compliance of the WEEE regulations and working with enforcement authorities who will be undertaking activities to raise awareness within the producer and retail sectors to ensure those affected by the WEEE regulations are aware of their requirements.

Post Office: Personal Savings

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many depositors have withdrawn their savings from the Post Office network since 17 February 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 22 February 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether compensation for the compulsory purchase of a community-owned post office branch is payable to  (a) the not-for-profit company which owns the post office franchise and  (b) the individual who rents and runs the franchise.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what provision there is for a community-owned post office branch earmarked for closure to remain open if  (a) the local community is prepared to forego the post office salary and  (b) a third party is prepared to pay the operating costs.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 397W, on post offices: closures, why Post Office Ltd has not released relevant financial information to Essex county council to help the council explore the viability of financially supporting some of those post offices set for closure.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 February 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postal Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with the Post Office and the other major carriers over the future of the universal service obligation.

Patrick McFadden: The Government consider the maintenance of a universal postal service to be of the highest importance. Under the terms of the Postal Services Act 2000, the universal service is a matter for the postal regulator (Postcomm), which has the primary statutory duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service at an affordable uniform tariff.
	BERR Ministers and officials regularly hold discussions with Royal Mail on strategic postal issues and also meet with other licensed operators to discuss their operations within the market.
	The Government have commissioned an independent review of the postal services sector. One of the review terms of reference will consider how to maintain the universal service obligation. The review will provide all postal carriers with a formal opportunity to contribute their thinking on this and on the future of postal services in the UK.

Regional Development Agencies: Manpower

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff are employed by each of the regional development agencies; what each agency's expenditure was in each of the last five years; and what the staffing cost of each agency was in the last year for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows staff employed and costs by RDAs in 2006-07.
	
		
			  RDAs  Staff employed  Staffing cost (000) 
			 AWM 327 15,238 
			 EEDA 223 11,382 
			 EMDA 247 10,084 
			 LDA 488 30,656 
			 NWDA 402 19,321 
			 ONE 446 15,394 
			 SEEDA 342 17,248 
			 SWRDA 303 13,538 
			 YF 428 17,957 
			  Note:  Costs include salaries, national insurance, pensions, staff and board members 
		
	
	The RDAs grant in aid budgets for the last five years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			  RDAs  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM 204 240 217 310 281 
			 EEDA 88 80 84 139 140 
			 EMDA 101 117 119 168 161 
			 LDA 295 317 328 371 416 
			 NWDA 274 309 367 402 402 
			 ONE 193 223 227 254 273 
			 SEEDA 112 136 110 165 172 
			 SWRDA 103 99 113 168 171 
			 YF 211 244 288 310 313

Sub-post Offices: Finance

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to sub-post offices of the  (a) services and  (b) electronic services provided to them by the Post Office was in the last 12 months period for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 February 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid by his Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2004-05; which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed on contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Information on DWP expenditure with Capita Group plc and its known subsidiaries in each year since 2004-05 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 2004-05 47.79 
			 2005-06 53.10 
			 2006-07 54.80 
			 2007-08 (to December 2007) 20.97 
			 Total = 176.66 million which includes 23.79 million recoverable VAT. 
		
	
	Contracts awarded to Capita are as follows:
	 Record storage
	In 2004, DWP awarded a contract for the provision of record storage services to Capita Business Services Ltd. The contract commenced on 1 July 2004 and is due to expire in June 2011. The contract was advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). 39 organisations applied for the contract and three were shortlisted. Expenditure on this contract between July 2004 to December 2007 is 52.96 million.
	 Occupational  h ealth  s ervices
	In December 2007, Capita Health Solutions was successful in a competitive re-tender exercise to identify an occupational health service provider for DWP. The competition was advertised in OJEU and a number of organisations expressed interest in the contract, eight were shortlisted and four bids were received. This service went live in April 2007. DWP and Capita mutually agreed to disengage from this arrangement with effect from 15 August 2007. Expenditure with Capita was 1.07 million.  Consultancy and Interim Personnel
	Capita Business Services Ltd. has a place within four lots on the DWP Consultancy and Interim Personnel framework. This framework was advertised through OJEU and went live in April 2004. Each requirement identified within the Department is competed within the appropriate lot of the framework or through other appropriate commercial arrangements e.g. PAN Government frameworks, CIPHER Communications Framework. Expenditure with Capita on consultancy and interim personnel from April 2004 to December 2007 is 5.63 million.
	 The UNderpinning IT DeliverY (UNITY) Project
	In 2005, Capita Business Services Ltd. was one of 32 suppliers awarded a Framework Agreement under the Department's UNderpinning IT DeliverY (UNITY) project. The UNITY Project was designed to put in place commercial arrangements for the procurement of IS/IT services for DWP which complemented existing contracts. As a result of a formal competition, the UNITY suppliers were selected to compete for business within specific areas or lots. Capita Business Services Ltd. is eligible to compete for business in lot one (application development) and lot two (infrastructure development), if invited to do so by DWP. The procurement was conducted under public procurement regulations with a Contract Award Notice published in the OJEU on 31 May 2005.
	Capita Business Services Ltd. is one of 23 suppliers that met those criteria in lot one and one of 12 suppliers successful in lot two. The Framework Agreement itself has no value attached to it, nor is there any guarantee that suppliers will be invited to compete for, or be awarded, any specific business for the four year duration of the Framework, which expires in 2009. To date no contract within the Framework Agreement has been awarded to Capita.
	 Other  s pend with Capita
	Capita Business Solutions had a contract with DWP until March 2007 for the provision of office services in the north west, north east, Yorkshire and East and West Midlands. Expenditure from April 2004 to March 2007 was 85.38 million. Capita had a contract also for the delivery of winter fuel payments which ended in May 2005, following a re-competition. Expenditure from April 2004 to the end of the contract was 4.84 million.
	DWP can access Cabinet Office contracts for the delivery of PCSPS payments (Capita) and their framework for senior level recruitment where Veredus (a Capita subsidiary) is a supplier. In addition, there has been ad-hoc expenditure with Capita for example for the provision of miscellaneous training, IS/IT, property services and access to work payments, to aid in the employment of disabled workers. Expenditure from April 2004 to December 2007 in these areas is 2.99 million.
	All DWP contracts are awarded on a balance of quality and cost, to provide optimum value for money for the Department. All contracts are underpinned by key performance indicators and where appropriate, service credit regimes should performance not reach the required standard. DWP also has standard clauses in respect of formal breach of contract action.

Child Support Agency: Pay

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in bonus payments to staff at the Child Support Agency in each year since 2001.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was paid in bonus payments to staff at the Child Support Agency in each year since 2001.
	The Child Support Agency is part of the Department for Work and Pensions and operates Departmental schemes. Over the period from 2001 to 2007, three separate schemes for payment of bonuses have operated within the Child Support Agency. Each of the three schemes have different criteria on how a bonus can be earned and the percentage of the pay budget that can be applied to it.
	The figures provided in the attached table highlight the amounts paid as special, Makinson and individual performance bonuses.
	Both the special bonus scheme and the individual performance bonuses were in operation for the entire period within all parts of the Department. The guidelines, policy funding and framework for these schemes are set by the Department.
	The Makinson bonus scheme was undertaken as part of a Treasury initiative to enhance performance in the public sector by linking performance to reward. This scheme only ran for 2002-03 and 2003-04 and was trialled in three parts of the Department, one of which was the Child Support Agency. Incentive payments made under this scheme were funded directly by the Treasury.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	The table below shows the sums paid to Agency employees as special bonuses, Makinson bonuses and individual performance bonuses between 2001-02 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  000 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total special bonus paid 395 457 455 450 559 394 
			 Total Makinson bonus paid  9,190 3,440
			 Total individual performance bonus paid 420 1,793 1,870 3,318 3,314 3,340 
			 Totalall bonuses 815 11,440 5,765 3,768 3,873 3,734

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data exchanges of sensitive personal data have taken place between his Department and local authorities in the last 12 months; and what datasets were collected.

Anne McGuire: The Department lawfully exchanges data with local authorities for a very wide range of purposes. Many of these exchanges are provided routinely on a day-to-day basis with local authority staff, and consequently details are not available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of his Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year.

Anne McGuire: Information in the format requested is available only from April 2003 and is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Overseas () (including EU)  Domestic ()  Total ()  Total as percentage of DWP overall DEL expenditure 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 753,218 29,399,320 30,152,538 0.491 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 1,018,150 29,654,766 30,672,916 0.477 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 1,195,396 31,435,816 32,631,212 0.528 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 742,112 29,458,446 30,200,558 0.500 
			 April 2007 to October 2007 466,289 18,181,514 18,647,803 (1) 
			 (1 )DEL expenditure for 2007-08 financial year will be available following publication of the Department's Resource Accounts later this year. 
		
	
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with rules set out in departmental guidance.

Housing Benefit: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of housing benefit there were in  (a) local authority,  (b) housing association and  (c) private rented tenure sectors in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in each of the last five years; how many new customers there were in each tenure sector in each year; and what the average processing time was for new customers in each sector in each year.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of housing benefit (HB) recipients in Newcastle upon Tyne local authority in last five years 
			   Local authority HB recipients  Housing association HB recipients  Private rented sector HB recipients 
			  As at May:
			 2003 20,600 4,300 4,700 
			 2004 20,600 4,400 4,700 
			 2005 20,300 4,400 4,400 
			 2006 19,600 4,600 3,900 
			 2007 19,300 5,000 3,600 
			  Notes:  1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.  2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.  3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.  4. Private tenants include all private rented tenure sectors excluding housing association.   Source:  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in May 2003-07. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of new housing benefit (HB) customers in each tenure in Newcastle upon Tyne in last five years 
			   Local authority new claims  Local authority average processing times (days)  Registered social landlord new claims  Registered social landlord average processing times (days)  Private rented sector new claims  Private rented sector average processing times (days) 
			 2002-03 8,700 53 1,700 58 5,100 59 
			 2003-04 9,200 51 1,800 51 5,200 58 
			 2004-05 7,200 57 1,400 50 4,200 58 
			 2005-06 4,200 57 980 53 2,500 72 
			 2006-07 5,500 62 2,000 59 3,300 82 
			 2007-08(1) 2,500 39 1,000 33 1,500 55 
			 (1 )Quarter 1 to Quarter 2.   Notes:  1. Data limitations mean we are unable to establish the number of new customers each year. We have answered the question using figures for new claim. This will be close to the number of new customers, but will include customers who are re-claiming and therefore not new.  2. Data limitations mean we are unable to split housing association properties from the registered social landlord definition. However, the vast majority of HA properties are RSL properties.  3. New claims have been rounded to the nearest hundred.  4. Processing times have been rounded to the nearest day.   Source:  Housing Benefit Operational Database, 2007-08 data.

Industrial Health and Safety: Lorry Drivers

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to improve the provision of secure resting facilities for professional lorry drivers to improve their health and safety.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The delivery of parking and rest facilities, since 1992, has primarily been through the private sector together with local planning authorities. The Department for Transport has been facilitating meetings between representatives of the road haulage trade associations, the Highways Agency, Motorway Service Area operators and other lorry parking providers in order to identify the issues that can promote an increase together with improvement in these facilities.
	The Department for Transport and the Highways Agency intend to undertake a national study into lorry parking with the objective of finding out the current and future demand for these facilities. This could better inform the local planning authorities on the need for these facilities and the potential providers of these facilities with their investment decisions.
	The Highways Agency has published a guide to truck stops in England and has recently carried out a consultation with the aim of developing policies that maintain and improve the provision of service areas and other facilities on motorways and all purpose trunk roads in England, including those for lorry drivers.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for jobseeker's allowance were disallowed on the grounds of the claimant not actively seeking employment in each month since April 2006; and how many such decisions on claims were reversed on appeal.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 1 February 2008
	Information on appeals cannot be broken down by type of sanction. The available information has been placed in the Library.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on pensioners per capita in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on the timetable for pension and benefits payments in the period leading up to Christmas 2007.

James Plaskitt: My Department received a small number of representations about the arrangements for making pension and benefits payments for Christmas 2007, from hon. Members and others.
	The arrangements we put in place to make sure that everyone received their money before Christmas worked well and many (including around three quarters of pensioners) due to be paid over Christmas got their money on Friday 21 December.

Poverty: Children

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of children lifted out of poverty of all parents receiving child maintenance and arrears payments due via the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
	The receipt of child maintenance payments, through all arrangement types including the Child Support Agency, currently lifts around 100,000 children out of poverty.
	The Child Support Agency's operational improvement plan is expected to help lift further 30,000-40,000 children out of poverty.
	The overall effect of the redesigned child maintenance system with more parents with care getting maintenance and enabling all parents with care to benefit from a significantly higher disregard will be to lift at least a further 100,000 children out of poverty.

Social Security Benefits: Ireland

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Ireland on individuals claiming benefits in both countries.

James Plaskitt: Formal arrangements are in place between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland signed at Secretary of State level. Under these arrangements officials meet regularly with their counterparts from the Republic of Ireland. Procedures are in place for collaboration and joint working.

Winter Fuel Payments

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioners aged 60 and over have claimed the winter fuel payment in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) the UK in each year since its inception;
	(2)  how many pensioners aged 80 and over have claimed the higher rate winter fuel payment in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) the UK in each year since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. The information from winter 1999-2000 is in the following tables. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments made to people aged 60 or over 
			   Jarrow constituency  South Tyneside  North-east  Great Britain 
			 1999-2000 15,980 30,140 461,690 10,084,130 
			 2000-01 17,340 32,840 511,880 11,105,750 
			 2001-02 17,320 32,740 513,460 11,201,900 
			 2002-03 17,340 32,650 516,760 11,348,040 
			 2003-04 17,390 32,600 519,060 11,468,240 
			 2004-05 16,900 31,580 509,230 11,401,170 
			 2005-06 16,750 31,220 511,630 11,514,760 
			 2006-07 16,970 31 ,400 518,560 11,702,900 
		
	
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments made to people aged 80 or over 
			   Jarrow constituency  South Tyneside  North-east  Great Britain 
			 2003-04 3,120 6,290 95,150 2,334,400 
			 2004-05 3,150 6,300 94,790 2,313,230 
			 2005-06 3,170 6,300 96,000 2,342,010 
			 2006-07 3,280 6,430 97,800 2,376,870 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies, Local Authorities and Government office regions are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 3. The increased winter fuel payment for people aged 80 or over was introduced in winter 2003-04.  Source:  Information directorate 100 per cent data.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Betting: Fraud

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals the Government have considered to tackle the rigging of results in sport gambling; and how initiatives will be funded.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 February 2008
	The Gambling Commission published responses to its Sports Betting Integrity consultation in October 2007 and concluded that there was no evidence of a significant problem with sports betting integrity in this country. However, the Commission gathers intelligence on all gambling integrity issues and is keeping the situation under review. The Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) has also commissioned research into this issue from the university of Salford and I await the outcome with interest.
	The Government favour voluntary payments from the betting industry to support sports integrity initiatives.

Camelot Group

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he expects Camelot to have raised 10.5 billion for good causes over the course of its licence; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Camelot's current licence ends on 31 January 2009. It is not possible to predict accurately how much will be raised for good causes by that date and neither the Department nor the National Lottery Commission set targets for the net proceeds of the national lottery. However, we do share a statutory duty that requires us to do our best to ensure that they are maximised, subject to lottery games being operated with due propriety and the interests of participants being protected. The NLC stated in June 2001 that 10 billion for good causes would be a challenging amount for Camelot to raise during the course of the second licence.

Convergence Think Tank

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 318W, on the Convergence Think Tank, how the figure of 300,000 for the costs of the Convergence Think Tank was arrived at.

Andy Burnham: The estimated cost of the Convergence Think Tank referred to in my answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 318-19W, to the hon. Member for Wantage, was a rounded total based on an initial view of the costs of the principal elements of the Think Tank's work, excluding staff costs, namely
	communications, including seven public seminars: 37,500;
	external experts: 65,000;
	research: 200,000.
	These figures are estimates and are likely to vary according to the specific requirements of the Think Tank.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) staff and  (b) full-time equivalent staff under 18 years are employed by his Department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport currently does not employ any staff under 18 years of age.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the salary range is for each pay band of civil servants in his Department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Current DCMS salary ranges are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Grades A-D 
			   
			  Grade  Minimum  Maximum 
			 D 16,796 20,395 
			 C 21,242 25,178 
			 HEOD 27,560 35,335 
			 B 27,560 35,335 
			 A 42,770 52,985 
			 A(U) 49,918 64,065 
		
	
	
		
			  Senior Civil Servants 
			   
			  Grade  Minimum  Maximum 
			 SCS1 56,100 116,000 
			 SCS1A 65,280 127,000 
			 SCS2 81,600 160,000 
			 SCS3 99,960 205,000 
			  Key: Grade A = Former Grades 6/7 Grade B = Former SEO/HEO/HEO(D) and equivalent grades Grade HEOD = Fast Stream Grade C = Former EO and equivalent grades Grade D = Former AO/AA and equivalent grades

Departmental Pay

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Public and Commercial Services Union on the current year's pay settlement for staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) the Royal Parks Agency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

English Sports Council: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the current national lottery balance is of the  (a) Sports Council (England) and  (b) UK Sports Council.

Gerry Sutcliffe: At close of business on 31 January 2008 the national lottery balances for Sport England and UK Sport were:
	
		
			   Lottery balance ( million) 
			 Sport England 204.518 
			 UK Sport 15.068

Find your Talent Project: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the 25 million announced for the Find your Talent project on 13 February 2008 will  (a) be spent on establishing the Youth Culture Trust and  (b) available to local authorities to run projects.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 20 February 2008
	The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Youth Culture Trust will grow out of the existing Creative Partnerships programme. This programme was already in the process of separating from Arts Council England and establishing itself as an external organisation. The costs of this will be met from the core grant to Creative Partnerships and we are not anticipating using any of the recently announced 25 million for this purpose.
	 (b) Some costs will be incurred in managing the pilot programme. These are still being finalised at present but our intention is to keep the administration costs to the absolute minimum consistent with successful delivery and evaluation. In addition, there will be some costs involved in auditing the current level of provision and the take up of cultural activities by children and young people.

Football: Community Relations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which football clubs receive Government funding to operate community schemes; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of those schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following Government initiatives fund community schemes operated by, or in conjunction with, football clubs.
	Playing for Success establishes out of school hours study support centres at professional football clubs and other sports clubs. 88 centres are based in football clubs, including all 20 clubs in the Premier League, to which the Department for Children Schools and Families will contribute 6 million in 2007-08.
	The Home Office funds Positive Futures, a national sports-based social inclusion programme. Seven football clubs (Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, Millwall and Portsmouth) have football in the community schemes affiliated to them that have successfully applied for Positive Futures programme funding. The 2007 annual monitoring and evaluation report on the entire Positive Futures programme was published in November 2007.
	The Kickz scheme is currently delivered in partnership with 19 Premiership and 11 Football League clubs across the country. It offers positive evening activities for young people, including football leagues and education sessions. Evaluation of the four pilot Kickz projects showed that local crime had fallen by an average of 27 per cent. during those times that projects were being held.
	The Football Foundation is investing 4.7 million into the Kickz scheme and the DCMS is investing 1 million via the Premier League's good causes fund. This investment over three years will expand the Kickz programme so that over 100 projects will be delivered by more than 30 professional clubs.

Gambling Act 2005

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions since 1 September 2007 the Gambling Commission has been asked to consider a potential offence under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005; and what action it has taken in each instance.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since 1 September 2007, 22 cases have been considered where the offence of cheating (section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005) at gambling may have some relevance to a greater or lesser degree. In all 22 cases the Commission is continuing its inquiries and considering what, if any, further action is necessary. Nine of the cases have been reported by the industry under conditions of their operating licences and 13, the majority of which mainly concern cheating by junior casino staff when they visit another casino, are likely to be dealt with by the application of the Commission's regulatory sanctions under the 2005 Act.

Gambling: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings officials in his Department have had with  (a) overseas online gambling operators,  (b) UK online gambling operators and  (c) counterparts in overseas governments on the issue of online gambling addiction since October 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since October 2006, officials in my Department have not had any meetings with overseas or UK-based online gambling operators, nor with their counterparts in overseas jurisdictions, specifically on the issue of online gambling addiction. However, officials keep in close contact with the industry on issues relating to the regulation of remote gambling and socially responsible gambling.
	Following the publication of the 2007 Prevalence Survey, the Gambling Commission have commissioned a programme of secondary analysis to look at a number of areas for further research, including internet gambling.

National Lottery: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much lottery funding was awarded to village halls in Braintree constituency in  (a) 1997 and  (b) each of the last three year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There is no definition on the DCMS lottery grants database of village halls. Information on the database records that the following organisations in Braintree constituency benefited from these lottery grants related to buildings with shared community use in the relevant years:
	
		
			  Organisation  Lottery grant () 
			  2005  
			 White Colne Village Hall Management Committee 3,228 
			 Stisted Village Hall 4,280 
			 Rayne Village Hall and Public Playing Fields 63,023 
			   
			  2006  
			 White Colne Village Hall Management Committee 1,770 
			 Earls Colne Parish Council 2,865 
			 Great Bardfield Town Hall Management Committee 9,932 
		
	
	There are no grants recorded as meeting these criteria in 1997 or 2007. The Department's lottery grants database is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk and uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.

National Lottery: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which projects in Braintree constituency have received community fund grants.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Community Fund has awarded 48 grants with a total award value of 2,292,497 to the Braintree constituency. The Community Fund merged with the New Opportunities Fund to become the Big Lottery Fund in June 2004. The Big Lottery Fund became fully functional on 1 December 2006.
	Details of individual grants awarded by the Community Fund are listed in the table.
	
		
			  Recipient  Award date  Award amount 
			 First Stop Centre 19 December 1995 54,756 
			 Foley House Trust 19 December 1995 250,000 
			 Halstead Day Centre 17 December 1996 314,750 
			 Tabor Centre For Physically Handicapped Adults 17 December 1996 41,092 
			 Great Bardfield Pre School 18 September 1997 123,206 
			 Witham Citizen Advocacy 30 September 1998 7,583 
			 Feering Good Companions Club 27 October 1998 3,092 
			 Braintee Physically Handicapped Club 7 January 1999 1,500 
			 Essex Coalition of Disabled People 3 March 1999 177,682 
			 The Gower Trust 4 March 1999 578 
			 1st Witham Guides Company 20 April 1999 3,160 
			 Kelvedon Good Companions Club 29 April 1999 3,000 
			 Wethersfield Village Hall 29 April 1999 4,500 
			 Finchingfield Almshouse Trust 29 April 1999 5,000 
			 Blackmore End Village Hall 29 April 1999 5,000 
			 Braintree Friday Circle Over 60's Club 18 August 1999 1,000 
			 1st Finchingfield Scout Group 20 October 1999 4,925 
			 Braintree and Uttlesford District Special Needs Playscheme 25 November 1999 4,765 
			 4th Braintree Scout Group 10 December 1999 3,678 
			 Kelvedon Community Association 9 February 2000 5,000 
			 Kelvedon Good Companions Club 12 April 2000 1,000 
			 3rd Bocking Guides 12 April 2000 1,320 
			 Braintee Physically Handicapped Club 14 June 2000 1,500 
			 Braintree and District Social Club for the Blind 14 June 2000 1,560 
			 Arthritis CareBraintree Branch 14 June 2000 1,320 
			 Braintree District Voluntary Support Agency (BDVSA) 4 July 2000 209,015 
			 Great Bardfield Pre-School 19 October 2000 2,600 
			 Great Bardfield Town Hall Management Committee 19 October 2000 2,500 
			 Tabor Centre For Physically Handicapped Adults 1 March 2001 462,825 
			 Kelvedon Good Companions Club 8 June 2001 750 
			 Braintree Friday Circle Over 60's Club 8 June 2001 710 
			 158 Braintree and District Air Training Corps 25 July 2001 1,505 
			 Rayne Village Hall and Public Playing Fields 26 July 2001 17,500 
			 Essex Coalition of Disabled People 5 December 2001 16,583 
			 Feering Good Companions Club 21 January 2002 897 
			 Braintee Physically Handicapped Club 20 March 2002 2,000 
			 Braintree and District Social Club for the Blind 20 March 2002 2,091 
			 Essex Coalition of Disabled People 23 May 2002 200,717 
			 Braintree and District Citizens Advice Bureau 24 May 2002 72,678 
			 Shalford Village Hall 18 July 2002 33,565 
			 Feering Good Companions Club 26 September 2002 6,570 
			 Braintree and Bocking Community Association 1 August 2003 18,095 
			 Tabor Centre 12 August 2004 17,067 
			 Witham Citizen Advocacy 6 October 2004 44,693 
			 Tabor Centre 9 December 2004 18,000 
			 Braintree, Halstead and Witham Citizens Advice Bureau 9 December 2004 52,556 
			 Witham Housing Association 8 June 2005 25,590 
			 Rayne Village Hall and Public Playing Fields 14 December 2005 63,023 
		
	
	The information is location specific. That is the list includes only grants that are specific to locations in the constituency and excludes grants that might have gone to addresses in the constituency, to headquarters offices for example, but are not otherwise related to it. The Department's Lottery Grants Database is searchable at:
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
	and uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.

National Lottery: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much income the National Lottery raised in each local authority area in England for each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Revenue raised by the National Lottery is measured nationally and not by local authority or any other geographical area.
	Proceeds from National Lottery sales represent the vast majority of revenue. In addition, there are other operator-related proceeds (mainly unclaimed prizes) together with investment earnings on the overall balance held for distribution to the good causes.

National Lottery: Northern Ireland

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding was granted by the National Lottery  (a) to schemes in Northern Ireland and  (b) per head of the population in Northern Ireland in each financial year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number and value of grants awarded by the Lottery Distributing Bodies in each financial year since 1997, in Northern Ireland, is given in the following table. The figures are derived from the DCMS lottery grants database. The population figure used throughout is 1,741,600, which is the mid-2006 estimate of the Office for National Statistics.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of Grants  Total value of grants ()  Per capita value () 
			 2007 (to date) 498 37,518,712 21.54 
			 2006-07 1,501 43,297,488 24.86 
			 2005-06 1,905 73,717,565 42.33 
			 2004-05 1,479 50,417,962 28.95 
			 2003-04 1,177 48,468,452 27.83 
			 2002-03 1,635 74,139,886 42.57 
			 2001-02 1,356 57,949,621 33.27 
			 2000-01 948 45,372,133 26.05 
			 1999-2000 972 67,638,796 38.84 
			 1998-99 692 60,909,678 34.97 
			 1997-98 630 95,550,031 54.86 
			 Total 12,793 654,980,324  
		
	
	The Department's lottery grants database is searchable at:
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
	and uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.

Pigeon Racing

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria must be satisfied for pigeon racing to become a sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The principal criteria against which the Sports councils assess activities is whether or not the activity meets the definition of sport contained in the Council of Europe's European Sports Charter 1993. This defines sport as:
	Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.
	The other criteria include: the essential purpose of the activity, sustainability, rules and organisation and uniqueness.
	The full guidelines governing the recognition of sporting activities can be found via the Sport England website:
	http://www.sportengland.org/recognition_of_activities.htm

Tourism

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the 10 most popular tourist attractions in England in each of the last 10 years are publicly owned.

Margaret Hodge: My Department does not maintain central records of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK.
	However VisitBritain and its sector partners have over the last seven years carried out periodical surveys of regional attractions across Britain.
	The 10 most popular tourist attractions for England are listed in the table and the publicly supported attractions are indicated by *.
	
		
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 1 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach 
			 2 British Museum* National Gallery* Tate Modern* Albert Dock Albert Dock British Museum* Tate Modern* 
			 3 National Gallery* British Museum* British Museum* British Museum* National Gallery* National Gallery* British Museum* 
			 4 Albert Dock British Airways London Eye National Gallery* National Gallery* British Museum* Tate Modern* National Gallery* 
			 5 Tate Modern* Tate Modern* British Airways London Eye Tate Modern* Tate Modern* BA London Eye Natural History Museum* 
			 6 British Airways London Eye Tower of London Natural History Museum* British Airways London Eye British Airways London Eye Natural History Museum* Science Museum* 
			 7 Tower of London Eastbourne Pier Science Museum* Science Museum* Natural History Museum* Science Museum* Victoria and Albert Museum* 
			 8 Pleasureland Theme Park Pleasureland Theme Park Victoria and Albert Museum* Natural History Museum* Xscape Castleford Tower of London Tower of London 
			 9 Natural History Museum* Natural History Museum* Pleasureland Theme Park Victoria and Albert Museum* Science Museum* Victoria and Albert Museum* St Paul's Cathedral 
			 10 Victoria and Albert Museum* Victoria and Albert Museum* Tower of London Pleasureland Theme Park Victoria and Albert Museum* Tate Britain* National Portrait Gallery*

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the non-emergency 101 number.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Assessment of the 101 service in the initial live areas found that the service has successfully improved public access to and satisfaction in community safety services. Through greater partnership working and better information from the public about what problems are happening where, the 101 service has helped local police and councils to target their resources more effectively and efficiently and improve the delivery of those services to the public. We welcome Sir Ronnie Flanagan's endorsement of these benefits in the final report of his review of policing, particularly in support of better neighbourhood management.
	While it was decided not to continue centrally to fund local areas, a difficult but necessary decision in the context of important competing pressures and priorities, we remain keen to see the benefits and good practice from 101 taken up as widely as possible. It is for this reason that we will be continuing to provide funding for the national 101 infrastructure, as well as providing a tool kit to help local areas to improve local services and develop locally funded 101 services where possible.
	I welcome the work currently being taken forward to this effect by the Greater London Assembly together with London councils, individual boroughs and the Metropolitan Police in their plans to pilot the 101 service locally.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent retailers selling alcohol to under-age children.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Successive Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns (2004-06) and Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaigns (2006-07) have reduced the test purchase failure rate from approximately 50 per cent. to approximately 15 per cent.
	The Home Office will continue to address the problem of underage drinking through co-ordinating the utilisation of existing legislation in relation to underage sales and confiscation of alcohol through national campaigns.

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the ministerial letter of 31 January 2006 responding to the recommendations within the Animal Procedures Committee's (APC) 2005 report on the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals; what response she has made to the APC's Recommendation 9 on enhancements to the types of information recorded within the statistics.

Meg Hillier: We will provide a further response to recommendation 9 of the Animal Procedures Committee's 2005 report on the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals when the European Commission publishes revised statistical reporting requirements as part of the current review of Directive 86/609/EEC, which the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 transposes into UK law.

Antisocial Behaviour: Crawley

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Crawley.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 25 February 2008
	We have provided practitioners with a toolkit to tackle antisocial behaviour, which they operate according to local priorities and a practitioner website and advice line. In Crawley, a multidisciplinary antisocial behaviour team operates many initiatives, based on prevention and enforcement that engage, educate and promote awareness among young people, engage with residents and tackle antisocial behaviour in families.

Burglary: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the detection rate for domestic burglary was in Tamworth in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available centrally for Tamworth. While detections data is available for basic command units (BCUs), Tamworth is not a BCU.

Cannabis

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the outcome of the review on cannabis will be announced.

Jacqui Smith: The Government will consider carefully the findings of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs when it submits its advice in late April 2008. A decision whether or not to bring a proposal to Parliament to reclassify the drug from class C back to class B under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 will then follow.

Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to make membership of a gang  (a) an offence and  (b) a factor to be taken into account in sentencing.

Jacqui Smith: We have no plans to make membership of a gang, in and of itself, an offence. The Sentencing Guidelines Council has already declared that, where an offender operates in a group or gang, this should be regarded as an aggravating factor, indicative of a higher than usual level of culpability, to be taken into account in sentencing (Guideline on Overarching Principles: Seriousness, 16 December 2004).

Crime

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has evaluated on the link between crime and unhappiness.

Vernon Coaker: Research has not been commissioned specifically looking at the link between crime and unhappiness.
	However, the British Crime Survey (BCS) asks about the impact of crime and fear of crime on quality of life. The latest analysis, from the 2006-07 BCS, shows victims of crime were more likely to report that crime and fear of crime had a high or moderate impact on their quality of life than those who had not been victims. This analysis can be found in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Crime in England and Wales 2006-07, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Crime: Cars

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car-related crimes there were in  (a) Cambridgeshire police authority area and  (b) each division within the authority in each of the last three years, broken down by category.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is given in the table.
	Recorded crime statistics have been provided for Cambridgeshire police force area and for the three Basic Command Units (BCUs) within. BCUs equate to police divisions.
	
		
			  Offences against vehicles broken down by Basic Command Unit in Cambridgeshire police force area 
			  Basic Command Unit  Offence Description and Code  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Cambridgeshire Central Vehicle interference and tampering (126) 284 217 195 
			 Cambs Central (after April 2006) Aggravated vehicle taking (37.2) 54 33 26 
			  Theft from vehicle (45) 1,517 1,452 1,444 
			  Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle (48) 657 584 575 
			  Total offences against vehicles 2,512 2,286 2,240 
			 Cambridgeshire Northern Vehicle interference and tampering (126) 531 442 519 
			 Cambs Northern (after April 2006) Aggravated vehicle taking (37.2) 67 46 58 
			  Theft from vehicle (45) 3,013 2,718 2,905 
			  Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle (48) 1,185 949 890 
			  Total offences against vehicles 4,796 4,155 4,372 
			 Cambridgeshire Southern Vehicle interference and tampering (126) 235 251 225 
			 Cambs Southern (after April 2006) Aggravated vehicle taking (37.2) 69 43 36 
			  Theft from vehicle (45) 1,919 1,910 2,080 
			  Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle (48) 688 610 762 
			  Total offences against vehicles 2,911 2,814 3,103 
			 Cambridgeshire Police Force Area total Vehicle interference and tampering (126) 1,050 910 939 
			  Aggravated vehicle taking (37.2) 190 122 120 
			  Theft from vehicle (45) 6,449 6,080 6,429 
			  Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle (48) 2,530 2,143 2,227 
			  Total offences against vehicles 10,219 9,255 9,715

Crime: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes there have been in crime rates in Tamworth in  (a) the last year and  (b) the last five years, broken down by category of offence.

Vernon Coaker: The available information relates to percentage changes in crimes recorded in the Tamworth Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership area and is given in the following table. Data for 2001-02 are not directly comparable with those for later years. Therefore the percentage change between 2002-03 and 2006-07 has been provided.
	
		
			  Percentage change in offences recorded by the police in Tamworth 
			  Offence group  Percentage  change between 2002-03 and 2006-07  Percentage  change between 2005-06 and 2006-07 
			 Violence against the person 16 4 
			 Sexual offences 7 -11 
			 Robbery -22 -15 
			 Burglary -28 0 
			 Offences against vehicle -26 -10 
			 Other theft offences -7 -15 
			 Fraud and forgery -42 -11 
			 Criminal damage 4 -3 
			 Drug offences 191 25 
			 Other miscellaneous offence 35 -2 
			 Total -4 -4

Crime: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime rates were in Warrington in each of the last five years, broken down by category of offence.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		
			  Offences recorded by the police in the Warrington crime and disorder reduction partnership area, 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			  Offence group  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Violence against the person 1,843 2,491 3,204 3,901 3,694 
			 Sexual offences 205 237 253 235 228 
			 Robbery 116 148 137 111 153 
			 Burglary 2,570 2,505 2,264 2,207 1,995 
			 Offences against vehicles 3,160 2,900 2,753 2,615 2,603 
			 Other theft offences 3,966 4,313 3,979 4,597 4,586 
			 Fraud and forgery 644 840 1,026 586 594 
			 Criminal damage 3,657 4,334 5,011 4,938 4,375 
			 Drug offences 323 335 322 477 469 
			 Other offences 190 210 171 251 260 
			 Total 16,674 18,313 19,120 19,918 18,957

Departmental Catering

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on ordering refreshments for meetings held by her Department in the last year.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 923-24W. Further detail on the cost of ordering the refreshments could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Rents

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much rent was paid by her Department to private landlords in each of the last five years; and what proportion of this rent in each year was paid for properties previously owned by her Department.

Jacqui Smith: Aggregated information on how much rent was paid by the Home Office to private landlords, including rent paid on properties previously owned, in each of the past five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much her Department spent on travel  (a) within and  (b) outside the UK for officials in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of her Department's overall expenditure was spent on such travel in each such year;
	(2)  how many overseas visits by officials in her Department took place in each of the last 10 years; which countries were visited; and how much was spent on such visits in each such year.

Liam Byrne: The Department's expenditure on travel within and outside the UK in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Non-UK 1.18 0.89 1.43 1.38 2.07 2.35 4.45 5.47 6.88 10.60 
			 UK 3.84 3.47 3.56 4.93 6.83 8.30 11.14 13.65 15.46 16.75 
			 Total 5.02 4.35 4.99 6.31 8.90 10.65 15.59 19.13 22.34 27.35 
			 Percentage of overall expenses 0.10 0.09 0.06 0.07 0.09 0.08 0.13 0.15 0.17 0.20 
		
	
	The difference in costs over the period reflects the changing nature of the Home Office's business, in particular the growth of international terrorism, migration and international travel. Collaboration and information exchange both domestically and internationally on counter-terrorism activities and border control have become increasingly critical to the effective discharge of the Department's responsibilities for asylum, immigration and national security.
	This has involved higher levels of overseas and UK travel.
	Details on the number of overseas visits and the countries visited could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The numbers include both official and ministerial travel. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

Deportation

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportations on grounds that a person remaining in the UK would not be conducive to the public good have taken place in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: In his public announcement of 14 January, I provided the most robust and accurate information available on foreign national prisoners. I confirmed that in 2007 over 4,200 foreign national prisoners have been removed or deported from the United Kingdom.

Deportation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportations of persons seeking asylum were not completed because the receiving country refused to accept them  (a) before and  (b) after the flight returning them had left the UK in the last 12 months.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Employment Agencies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not hold this information centrally and to obtain the information requested would incur disproportionate costs.

Identity Cards

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Identity Cards Scheme Cost report published in November 2007, if she will provide a break down by main budget heading of the 38 million in set-up costs for providing identity cards to foreign nationals from October 2007 and October 2017.

Jacqui Smith: The set-up cost estimates for providing identity cards to foreign nationals cannot be broken down further until we conclude commercial processes.
	As with all cost estimates covering a 10-year period the estimates contained in the Identity Cards Cost Report November 2007 are subject to change in light of new information or assumptions.

Identity Cards

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the identity cards scheme cost report published in November 2007, if she will provide a break down by main budget heading of the 144 million in operational costs for providing identity cards to foreign nationals from October 2007 and October 2017.

Jacqui Smith: The operational cost estimates for providing identity cards to foreign nationals cannot be broken down further until we conclude commercial processes.
	As with all cost estimates covering a ten year period the estimates contained in the identity cards cost report November 2007 are subject to change in light of new information or assumptions.

Immigration: Detainees

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-criminal prisoners are detained under the Immigration Act 1971; and for how many weeks they have been detained following the completion of their sentence.

Jacqui Smith: The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the chairman of the Home Affairs Committee on 20 November 2007. She reported that there are around 1,500 foreign nationals whose sentences have expired and are detained by the Agency or Prison Estate and who are awaiting deportation.

Judicial Review

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of her Department's decisions were challenged by judicial review in each parliamentary session since 1997; and in how many cases  (a) her Department's decision was upheld by the court,  (b) the court found for the applicant,  (c) her Department accepted the judgment and  (d) her Department appealed successfully against the decision.

Jacqui Smith: Because of the complexity and sensitivity of the issues the Home Office deals with, its decisions are frequently subject to challenge by judicial review; and this has been so for many years. Most of these challenges fall at the first hurdle and permission to bring proceedings is refused by the court; and many challenges are withdrawn by the applicants before there is a judicial determination. The exact figures for the total number of cases brought, and the outcomes in every case, are not held centrally. The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Offensive Weapons

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for restricting the policy on prosecuting everyone carrying a knife to London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The Government do not intend to restrict their plans for the presumption to prosecute those found carrying a knife to the areas referred to in the question.
	The Metropolitan Police Service in London are already adopting a positive charging policy, and we are working with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service and police forces to see how the arrangements agreed in London might be extended more widely. These proposals were announced on 18 February as part of the Government's Tackling Violence Action Plan.

Offensive Weapons: Crime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what areas she has designated as knife crime hot spots.

Vernon Coaker: The Government have not designated any specific knife crime hot spots. However the Government have announced on 18 February a range of measures to tackle knife crime, as part of the tackling violence action plan.

Offensive Weapons: Homicide

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of reported murders were committed with knives in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Available information relates to offences recorded that are currently classed as homicide where the apparent method of killing is 'sharp instrument', and was included within 'Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2006-07' (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 03/08, page 12). As of 12 November 2007, 35 per cent. of the homicides recorded by police in England and Wales during 2006-07 involved the use of a sharp instrument.

Prisoners: Foreigners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases involving foreign prisoners claiming to have been wrongfully detained at the end of their sentence have been brought in the last five years; and what the outcome has been of each of those cases in which legal proceedings are no longer active.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual cases in order to identify the specific reason for the commencement of judicial proceedings at disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency has regularly updated the Home Affairs Committee over the past 18 months with the most robust and accurate information available on the deportation of foreign national prisoners and will continue to do so as required.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the organisation of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: There are no plans to review the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Shoplifting

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce shoplifting.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are working in partnership with retail organisations to tackle retail crime including shoplifting. As part of this work we have set up a National Retail Crime Steering group to provide an opportunity for discussion of retailers' crime concerns and to devise strategies to deal with these.
	We have made a commitment to raise the profile of crimes against businesses, make provision for better information about them and produce guidance to support local partnerships in their efforts to tackle the crimes which affect them.
	The Home Office has also provided funding to the Perpetuity Group to develop a crime reduction tool for small and medium sized retailers to design out crime in their stores and significantly reduce the opportunities for shop thieves to operate.
	Priority-setting and monitoring the performance of local authorities is a devolved matter in Wales.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Homelessness

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of using privately rented accommodation for housing homeless people.

Caroline Flint: We have commissioned an independent review of the private rented sector which includes looking at the sector's role in meeting housing need and what can be done to ensure it is effectively managed. Over 200 local authorities use rent deposit schemes as a successful homelessness prevention measure.

Local Area Agreements

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the progress of local area agreement negotiations.

Hazel Blears: Local area agreement negotiations are progressing well. We have a good match between the priorities local areas and Government are proposing70 per cent., even at this early stage of negotiations. What is emerging is a strong sense that many areas share the same desire as Government to tackle the most difficult challenges in their communities.

Sub-national Review

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to implement the proposals in the issues paper, Taking Forward the Review of Sub-national Economic Development and Regeneration.

John Healey: We intend to publish a consultation paper shortly on implementation of the new single regional strategy, the creation of a local authority economic assessment duty and possible statutory arrangements for sub-regional collaboration between local authorities.

Eco-towns

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contribution eco-towns are expected to make to the supply of housing, with particular reference to affordable homes.

Caroline Flint: Eco-towns offer an exciting opportunity to provide desperately needed new homes for families and first time buyers, in a way that is consistent with our climate change objections. Eco-towns must have at least 30 per cent. affordable housing, but I am keen to see if we can achieve even more with some developments pushing towards 50 per cent.

Eco-towns

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to announce the location of the proposed eco-towns.

Caroline Flint: We have received almost 60 bids for EcoTowns across the country. We have been rigorously assessing these bids, particularly against tough criteria on environmental and transport standards. I will soon be publishing a shortlist of proposals. There will then be a full public consultation.

Eco-towns

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on establishing the new eco-towns.

Caroline Flint: We have received almost 60 expressions of interest and are now carrying out an initial sift across Government and their agencies. This will give a preliminary indication of the sustainability and infrastructure aspects of these schemes in relation to the criteria set out in the Eco-towns Prospectus, including their approach to transport and the environment. We are also contacting local authorities and regional bodies, in areas where schemes look to have good potential and we will then publish a shortlist for consultation. We expect to publish this shortlist in the near future for extensive consultation with the public, wider stakeholders and local authorities.

Concessionary Bus Fares

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the cost to local authorities of concessionary bus fares.

Hazel Blears: My Department keeps in regular contact with the Department for Transport at ministerial and official level on the issue of the funding of local authorities' statutory responsibilities for concessionary fares.

Concessionary Bus Fares

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with Chelmsford borough council on its concessionary bus fares scheme.

John Healey: I have had no discussions with Chelmsford borough council on the issue of its concessionary fares scheme.

Sharia

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications of Sharia law practices for community cohesion.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications of Sharia law practices for community cohesion.

Parmjit Dhanda: Community cohesion is about building better relationships between people from different backgrounds including those from new and settled communities. The use of religious courts, such as Sharia councils, to resolve private family and contractual disputes is well established, and we do not consider that it has an impact on community cohesion. Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales. There is no intention to change this.

Heritage Trees

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she plans to take to protect heritage trees.

Parmjit Dhanda: Heritage trees are already protected through a range of statutory and non-statutory mechanisms.
	Proposed changes to the Tree Preservation Order system will deliver more effective protection. We intend to introduce new regulations which will limit the exemptions allowing work to protected trees without consent, and we will update departmental guidance to clarify the powers already available to local planning authorities to protect heritage trees.

Social Home Buy Scheme

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed housing transactions there have been under the social home buy scheme.

Iain Wright: There were 156 completed Social HomeBuy sales up to January 2007, mainly by 13 of the early pilot Housing Associations most of whom joined in late 2006. Since 1997 the Government have helped over 95,000 households (including social tenants, key workers and other first time buyers) get onto the housing ladder.

Adult Education: Elderly

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities in England provide concessionary rates for adult education to those over 60 years of age.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect data on how many local authorities in England provide concessionary rates for adult education to those over 60 years of age.

Caravan Sites: Licensing

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it a requirement for a licensee of a mobile home site to be a fit and proper person.

Iain Wright: We are continuing to develop our policy on how to secure a more effective and robust licensing scheme for mobile home sites which takes account of management standards and the suitability of a person to hold a licence. I am examining the specific matter mentioned in the question.

Community Centres: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 839-40W, on community centres: valuation, within which larger categories village halls and community centres fall into for the purposes of the rating lists.

John Healey: The larger category is Hall and premises.

Community Development: Expenditure

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on  (a) Housing Supply and Demand,  (b) Decent Places to Live,  (c) Tackling Disadvantage,  (d) Better Services and  (e) Development of English Regions initiatives in 2006-07.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table sets out the amount that the Department spent on  (a) Housing Supply and Demand,  (b) Decent Places to Live,  (c) Tackling Disadvantage,  (d) Better Services and  (e) Development of English Regions in 2006-07.
	
		
			  Programme  000 
			 Housing Supply and Demand 3,353,840 
			 Decent Places to Live 1,292,808 
			 Tackling Disadvantage 2,334,622 
			 Better Services 266,613 
			 Development of English Regions 1,595,411 
		
	
	These figures are consistent with Note 2 on page 36 of the published Communities and Local Government Resource Accounts 2006-07 (HC 836, July 2007).

Council Tax Benefits

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the production of a form for automatic claims of council tax and housing benefits.

Hazel Blears: I have frequent discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about a range of issues. I very much welcome the efforts of his Department to make these benefits more accessible: simplifying the claims process for pensioners is part of this drive.

Departmental Official Residences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many ministerial residences were available to her Department's Ministers in each of the last 10 years.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) on 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 688W.

Departmental Property

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what property was lost or stolen from her Department and its predecessors since 1997; and what the cost of replacement was.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table contains information about items valued at 100 or more and reported as stolen or lost for the years detailed. Information for years before 2002-03 is not held. Information on items stolen or lost and valued at less than 100 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Stolen  Lost 
			   Item  Total value ()  Item  Total value () 
			 2002-03 Two laptops 600   
			  
			 2003-04 Two laptops 600 One mobile phone 200 
			  
			 2004-05 Two laptops 500   
			  
			 2005-06 Seven laptops 2,100   
			  One mac600 mobile light 800   
			  Two mac250+ mobile lights 980   
			  One official black leather briefcase 100   
			  One desktop PC and monitor 350   
			  
			 2006-07 Seven laptops 2,100   
			  Four desktop PCs 2,700   
			  One iPAQ projector 800   
			  One mobile phone 200   
			  One PC base unit 400   
			  
			 2007-08 Eight laptops 5,600   
			  Two mobile phones 200   
		
	
	This answer does not include property owned by the Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments, but does include CLG Agencies.
	None of the information contained in the laptops or PCs above was classified. However, each laptop and desktop PC was password protected.

Domestic Visits

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which stakeholders were met by Regional Ministers during official visits to regions.

Parmjit Dhanda: All Regional Ministers have taken part in a number of high level engagements within their regions including meetings with local authorities, regional bodies and other organisations, attendance at stakeholder events and visits to local projects and communities. To provide further details would incur disproportionate costs.

Empty Property: North West

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether her Department is on course to meet the targets to reduce the rate of long-term vacant dwellings  (a) in the North West to 1.65 per cent. and  (b) in Yorkshire and the Humber to 1.35 per cent.
	(2)  what intermediate targets have been set for the reduction of the rate of long-term vacant dwellings in  (a) the North West and  (b) Yorkshire and Humber ahead of the 2016 target.

Iain Wright: holding answer 20 February 2008
	Overall, since 2003 there has been a reduction in long term vacancy rates in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West, and they are broadly on trajectory. For a number of years up to 2003 vacancy rates in the North West were increasing. However, since 2004 the vacancy rate trend in the North West shows a marked improvement. We expect long term vacancy rates in housing market renewal pathfinder areas both in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West to fall as they move into the next phase of their interventions.
	The Department's annual report for 2007 includes a trajectory which illustrates the intermediate stages towards achieving the targets by 2016.

Geographical Information Systems

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private sector companies were consulted on the draft of the UK location strategy before it was submitted to Ministers.

Parmjit Dhanda: The process of drafting the UK Location Strategy involved two consultation phases:
	(i) Initial information gathering and consultation arranged and facilitated by consultants who were commissioned by the UK Geographic Information Panel (GI Panel) to draft the strategy;
	(ii) Wide consultation across Government during preparation and iteration of the draft, and following recognition that it was appropriate for the strategy to focus on public sector information.
	During the first consultation phase, the consultants arranged three workshop sessions. An open invitation to participate was extended for the first of these events. It was attended by over 90 delegates of whom more than 50 per cent. were from the private sector. Two further closed sessions involved delegates selected and invited by the consultants because of their personal knowledge and expertise: 16 of the 44 invitees to these sessions were employed in the private sector. The consultants also extended an open invitation for further contributions via the GI Panel website and invited written submissions and the opportunity for personal interview by one of the consultants. The consultants received a number of written statements including contributions from three private sector trade associations and 13 individuals.
	In addition, the GI Panel itself includes representatives from the Association of British Insurers, the Demographic User Group, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and the Association for Geographic Information, together representing the views of the wider UK geographic information, including over 50,000 companies and individual professionals from the private sector.

Government Offices for the Regions: Finance

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Government funding streams are available to the Government Offices for the Regions; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government Offices for the Regions have specific responsibility for an administration running cost budget and a capital budget.
	Programme budgets administered by the Government Offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments. The Departments delegate authority to the Regional Directors to spend against their programmes, though all expenditure incurred is recorded in the accounts of the Department concerned.

Government Offices for the Regions: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1180W, on Government Offices for the Regions: finance, what the total expenditure was of each of the Government offices in 2006-07.

Parmjit Dhanda: The total running cost expenditure in each of the Government offices in 2006-07 is as follows:
	
		
			  Government office  Amount (000) 
			 North East 12,730.25 
			 North West 16,933.67 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 10,676.64 
			 West Midlands 14,925.87 
			 East Midlands 11,490.17 
			 East 12,211.64 
			 South East 13,677.13 
			 South West 14,570.49 
			 London 17,595.20 
			 Total 124,811.78

Housing: Debt

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much historic housing debt each housing authority owed at the latest date for which figures are available; and what proportion of social housing in each housing authority area met the decent homes standard on that date.

Iain Wright: No distinction is drawn between 'historic debt' (for instance debt entered into in previous financial years) and 'non-historic debt' (for instance debt entered into in the current financial year). Reported housing debt and the percentage of their housing stock that meets the decent homes standard for each authority in 2006-07 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Local authority  Housing debt ()  Proportion of own stock meeting decent homes standard (percentage)  Proportion of RSL stock in area meeting decent homes standard (percentage) 
			 Adur 10,103,430 90 97 
			 Alnwick 6,822,649 100 93 
			 Arun 2,342,000 (1) 86 
			 Ashfield 78,537,341 94 97 
			 Ashford 8,576,926 100 96 
			 Babergh 3,451,371 88 96 
			 Barnet 23,940,000 70 90 
			 Barnsley 222,117,473 87 97 
			 Barrow 9,010,011 89 66 
			 Basildon 131,162,202 49 92 
			 Bassetlaw 23,522,109 69 98 
			 Birmingham 507,339,430 66 97 
			 Blackpool 17,582,302 89 98 
			 Blyth Valley 59,666,366 98 96 
			 Bolsover 6,873,586 55 91 
			 Bolton 187,535,588 91 82 
			 Bournemouth 11,228,327 98 96 
			 Brent 307,786,298 100 92 
			 Brighton and Hove 87,687,965 44 96 
			 Bristol 173,394,667 86 78 
			 Broxtowe 5,854,424 96 96 
			 Bury 16,062,052 72 85 
			 Cambridge 893,250 85 96 
			 Camden 415,234,013 52 90 
			 Cannock Chase 18,081,647 68 96 
			 Canterbury 4,517,386 80 82 
			 Caradon 2,379,682 76 95 
			 Carrick 11,738,498 75 82 
			 Castle Morpeth 11,607,218 27 93 
			 Cheltenham 9,940,435 90 87 
			 Chesterfield 21,631,176 74 97 
			 Chester-le-Street 13,583,000 54 91 
			 Chorley 2,498,568 (1) (1) 
			 City of London 12,373,791 64 88 
			 City of York 14,668,846 90 85 
			 Colchester 40,777,838 78 93 
			 Corby 1,475,569 83 81 
			 Croydon 54,042,154 85 95 
			 Darlington 26,400,171 100 88 
			 Derby 186,993,960 99 94 
			 Derwentside 29,883,628 (1) (1) 
			 Doncaster 113,914,967 37 94 
			 Dudley 48,433,000 83 99 
			 Durham 18,297,360 66 81 
			 Ealing 147,515,335 68 92 
			 Easington 55,637,051 11 98 
			 Eastbourne 25,798,203 23 93 
			 Ellesmere Port 3,016,000 84 96 
			 Enfield 36,391,000 76 93 
			 Fareham 3,921,330 91 96 
			 Fenland 4,461,834 86 97 
			 Gateshead 95,529,000 75 98 
			 Gloucester 16,267,257 25 94 
			 Great Yarmouth 15,686,358 90 92 
			 Greenwich 361,352,000 62 90 
			 Guildford 4,229,110 92 92 
			 Hackney 563,039,701 62 95 
			 Hammersmith 213,483,000 68 91 
			 Harborough 1,128,932 70 93 
			 Haringey 358,681,149 57 87 
			 Harrogate 4,069,356 78 84 
			 Harrow 28,060,487 28 78 
			 Havering 3,757,010 69 100 
			 High Peak 15,710,536 92 87 
			 Hillingdon 37,415,174 91 89 
			 Hounslow 229,030,000 100 73 
			 Ipswich 28,221,765 86 98 
			 Islington 587,840,525 55 88 
			 Kensington 162,317,044 76 81 
			 Kettering 3,682,000 91 90 
			 Kings Lynn 8,355,000 (1) (1) 
			 Kingston upon Hull 192,104,158 36 97 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7,744,806 77 94 
			 Kirklees 231,399,881 91 90 
			 Lambeth 456,512,939 71 49 
			 Lancaster 15,303,171 100 95 
			 Leeds 534,290,000 66 93 
			 Leicester 187,185,456 85 88 
			 Lewes 9,878,725 99 70 
			 Lewisham 309,321,090 53 97 
			 Lincoln 28,081,574 62 90 
			 Liverpool 522,979,000 38 94 
			 Luton 11,008,727 83 95 
			 Manchester 675,918,668 44 87 
			 Mansfield 35,190,886 66 96 
			 Medway Towns 19,417,880 73 79 
			 Melton 2,362,609 (1) 82 
			 Mid Suffolk 13,647,641 87 99 
			 Milton Keynes 76,520,037 65 31 
			 NE Derbyshire 23,188,000 87 87 
			 New Forest 1,897,105 87 94 
			 Newark 22,786,982 55 57 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 374,107,537 12 97 
			 Newham 396,944,177 42 95 
			 North Cornwall 2,588,084 92 87 
			 North Kesteven 11,715,865 89 86 
			 North Lincoln 25,508,220 (1) (1) 
			 North Norfolk 10,739,462 (1) (1) 
			 North Shropshire 225,381 83 89 
			 North Tyneside 104,950,497 46 98 
			 Norwich 52,552,003 79 96 
			 Nottingham 209,606,996 66 98 
			 Nuneaton 4,881,324 84 96 
			 NW Leicester 3,335,280 73 94 
			 Oldham 178,286,947 76 91 
			 Oswestry 1,084,619 22 98 
			 Oxford City 11,222,867 75 73 
			 Pendle 5,601,000 (1) (1) 
			 Plymouth 59,405,576 51 (1) 
			 Poole 12,181,412 56 90 
			 Portsmouth 29,258,032 64 90 
			 Reading 36,868,279 88 91 
			 Ribble Valley 3,342,390 83 88 
			 Richmondshire 958,421 94 93 
			 Rochdale 220,263,858 95 89 
			 Rochford 10,117,502 79 96 
			 Rotherham 67,099,885 35 90 
			 Rugby 1,665,034 (1) 94 
			 Salford 241 ,090,208 49 91 
			 Salisbury 2,977,736 91 92 
			 Sandwell 124,638,000 56 97 
			 Sedgefield 9,714,036 62 98 
			 Sefton 48,826,511 (1) (1) 
			 Sheffield 488,985,576 51 94 
			 Shepway 14,271,314 75 95 
			 Solihull 51,086,808 77 80 
			 South Derby 2,282,999 94 98 
			 South Holland 124,972 85 98 
			 South Kesteven 2,159,000 97 96 
			 South Tyneside 84,455,246 40 82 
			 Southampton 88,427,128 75 97 
			 Southend-on-Sea 22,298,055 37 86 
			 Southwark 585,951,770 67 96 
			 St. Albans 6,156,024 100 93 
			 Stockport 37,059,000 68 91 
			 Stockton 71,900,136 76 87 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 75,479,296 75 92 
			 Swindon 11,915,108 94 92 
			 Tamworth 20,994,770 90 94 
			 Tandridge 2,093,760 96 95 
			 Taunton Deane 14,291,342 85 94 
			 Teesdale 2,602,590 (1) (1) 
			 Tendring 15,583,154 77 89 
			 Thanet 15,451,354 99 91 
			 Torridge 1,154,954 79 94 
			 Tower Hamlets 334,267,161 41 92 
			 Waltham Forest 168,460,127 36 86 
			 Wandsworth 45,190,560 99 87 
			 Wansbeck 17,311,095 50 96 
			 Warrington 32,904,522 84 95 
			 Waveney 10,333,309 84 91 
			 Waverley 3,512,243 48 84 
			 Wealden 10,835,556 96 98 
			 Wear Valley 29,336,503 70 90 
			 Wellingborough 8,379,375 59 93 
			 Westminster 205,082,422 100 95 
			 Wigan 217,594,804 87 88 
			 Winchester 10,130,515 91 92 
			 Woking 20,532,952 91 93 
			 Wokingham 1,171,151 92 88 
			 Wolverhampton 149,719,979 41 95 
			 England 14,492,541,935   
			 (1) No data  Note: Data on debt are taken from local authorities' third subsidy claim form for 2006-07. The data for Decent Homes are taken from their Business Plan Statistical Appendix Annual Monitoring form and the Regulatory Statistical Return from registered social landlords.

Housing: Disadvantaged

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to encourage housing associations to meet the needs of vulnerable tenants.

Iain Wright: The Housing Corporation's Regulatory Code expects registered social landlords to provide vulnerable and marginalised residents with appropriate responsive housing services. They should also ensure that support and care arrangements (including liaison with other agencies) are in place, where appropriate.
	The Corporation's strategic approach is set out in their Housing for Vulnerable People: Strategy Statement. As a result the Government, through the Corporation's affordable housing programme, have allocated 385 million during 2006-08 for housing for vulnerable people, almost doubling the investment during the previous two years.
	In July 2007, the Housing Corporation produced the follow-up publication 'Investing in Independence: Housing for Vulnerable People Strategy'. This sets out how the Housing Corporation will engage with housing providers and support them in responding to the needs of vulnerable people, working in partnership with local and central government.
	The Corporation is currently assessing bids for their 2008-11 affordable housing programme. They have set out in their prospectus for the programme that they expect to fund more supported housing than they did in the 2006-08 programme.

Housing: Low Incomes

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much social housing stock there was in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) the South West and  (c) England in each year since 1979; and what percentage of overall housing stock was social housing in each area in each year.

Iain Wright: The figures requested are tabulated as follows and present the numbers of social rent dwellings that are owned or managed by local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs).
	
		
			  Levels of social rented stock (local authority plus registered social landlords) and as percentage of total stock, Cornwall, South West and England 
			   1981  1986  1991  1996  2001  2006 
			  Cornwall   
			 Social rent dwellings 30,166 27,893 25,778 26,680 27,062 26,977 
			 Percentage of total stock 17 15 13 12 12 11 
			
			  South West   
			 Social rent dwellings 371,552 339,159 308,990 311,638 301,965 300,564 
			 Percentage of total stock 22 19 16 15 14 13 
			
			  England   
			 Social rent dwellings 5,139,638 4,903,720 4,514,396 4,452,228 4,236,312 3,991,850 
			 Percentage of total stock 29 26 23 22 20 17 
			  Note: Cornwall is defined as the district areas of Caradon, Carrich, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, Restormel and the Isles of Scilly.  Source: Includes local authority stock from the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix as reported by local authorities, and Registered Social Landlords stock from the regulatory statistical return as reported by Registered Social Landlords

Housing: Low Incomes

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much was spent on the provision of affordable housing in settlements of 10,000 or more in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much money was spent on the provision of affordable housing in settlements of fewer than 10,000 people in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Information on expenditure through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme is currently held by the Corporation at local authority level and therefore it is not possible to provide a breakdown of spend in all settlements with a population below or above 10,000. However, we expect this position to change in future years through the greater use of map technology.

Housing: Planning

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 691-92W, on housing: planning, if she will consult hon. Members on bids for housing growth points on occasions when they are not consulted by their local authorities.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 18 February 2008
	It is for local authorities to consult with hon. Members regarding the content of their housing growth point expressions of interest. The growth will be developed through the statutory planning process so that there will be good opportunity for future consultation as plans and individual proposals are developed. I would expect hon. Members to be fully involved in this process.

Housing: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many teachers have purchased houses through the Low Cost Home Ownership Scheme in each year for which data are available.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of teachers who have purchased homes through the Low Cost Home Ownership Scheme in each year as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 57 
			 2002 1,221 
			 2003 1,890 
			 2004 959 
			 2005 2,572 
			 2006 1,741 
			 2007 (1) 984 
			 (1)As at January 2008

Immigration: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on public services in rural communities of immigration from countries acceding to the EU in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: My Department has recently established a new directorate with a remit to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the impacts of migration on communities and local services. Communities and Local Government will work across government to maximise the benefits of migration and support local providers to address any transitional impacts on public services in local areas, including rural communities.

Local Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research she has commissioned or supported on the performance of enhanced two-tier working of local authorities.

John Healey: An independent, six-year evaluation covering both Unitary restructuring and enhanced two-tier working in local authorities is currently being commissioned by Communities and Local Government. Work will commence in March 2008, once contract negotiations are finalised.

Local Government Finance: Ashfield District Council

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much grant Ashfield district council received in 2001-02; how much is planned for 2008-09; and what the percentage change has been in  (a) real and  (b) cash terms.

John Healey: The following table shows the amount of formula grant Ashfield district council received in 2001-02 and will receive in 2008-09, along with the percentage change in real and cash terms.
	
		
			   Local authority cash terms ( million) 
			 2001-02 Formula grant 7.714 
			 2008-09 Formula grant 11.049 
			  (a) Percentage change real terms 17.86 
			  (b) Percentage change cash terms 43.23 
		
	
	Formula grant comprises Revenue support grant, redistributed business rates, principal formula police grant, SSA reduction grant (SSA Review), SSA reduction grant (police funding review) and central support protection grant where appropriate.
	The real terms increase has been calculated using the Treasury's latest GDP deflator, which is the only measure of inflation that is forecast in advance. This figure for 2008-09 is 2.75 per cent.
	These percentage increases may not be on a like-for like basis because they cannot take account of changes in function and funding that have occurred over the years.

Local Government Finance: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the area based grant (ABG) was for the City of Newcastle in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11 with its component grants; and what the predecessor grants were for ABG for 2007-08.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have him on 25 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1226-27W.

Local Government: Suffolk

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of pursuing Pathfinder Status was for each local authority in Suffolk.

John Healey: This information is not held by Communities and Local Government. Expenditure on pursuing Pathfinder Status is a matter for each of the local authorities concerned to determine.

Minister for the South West

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions the Minister for the South West has met representatives of the South West Regional Development Agency since his appointment in June 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Minister for the South West has met members or officials from the South West Regional Development Agency on seven occasions.

Minister for the West Midlands: Manpower

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dedicated full-time equivalent staff of each grade work for the Minister for the West Midlands in his capacity as such; and what the cost of these staff is expected to be in 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government office for the west midlands supports the role of the regional minister. This support was provided by one full-time equivalent staff when the role was created and has now expended into two full-time equivalent staff to manage the delivery of the Minister's priorities in the region at an average salary cost of 94,000. It can also call on Government specialists in the field to provide support regarding Government priorities as appropriate.

Regional Government: Ministers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 372W, on regional government: Ministers, how many times Regional Ministers have met to discuss their work since appointment.

Parmjit Dhanda: The network of Regional Ministers has met three times since being established in July 2007 and it is intended that it will continue to meet every two months. The network of Regional Ministers operates under the joint chairmanship of the Secretaries of State for Communities and Local Government, and Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, with officials from these departments providing a secretariat.

Regional Government: Ministers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 372W, on regional government: Ministers, how many officials from her Department work in the secretariat for the network of Regional Ministers.

Parmjit Dhanda: There is presently the equivalent of one full time member of staff working in the secretariat for the network of Regional Ministers.

Regional Government: Ministers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1533W, on regional government: Ministers, on how many occasions the Minister for the South West has visited each of the South West constituencies referred to in the answer.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Minister for the South West has visited each listed constituency once except for Bournemouth, East, Bournemouth, West and Taunton where he has been twice and Exeter four times as Regional Minister.

Regional Government: Public Participation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 943W, on regional government: public participation, what meetings the Minister for the West Midlands has had with local authorities.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Minister for the West Midlands has had the following meetings with local authorities since being appointed: Shropshire, Coventry, Staffordshire, Newcastle, Telford and Wrekin, Worcestershire, Birmingham, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Stoke on Trent, Sandwell and Warwickshire.

Regional Ministers

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the contribution of regional Ministers to the development of Government policy.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Regional Ministers are engaging actively in their region and are working with other regional partners to ensure that the key issues facing their region are reflected in the development of government policy. No formal assessment has yet been made of this contribution, although it will be a key consideration as their role develops.

Regional Ministers: Accountancy

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department plans to put in place interim reporting and accountability guidelines for regional Ministers before the Modernisation Committee produces its report on regional accountability.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 25 February 2008
	The Government are currently preparing their evidence on their preferred means of strengthening regional accountability and have no plans to put in place any interim reporting and accountability guidelines before the report of the Modernisation Committee is published.

Regional Ministers: Departmental Responsibilities

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of time each Regional Minister has spent on  (a) regional matters and  (b) other departmental work since appointment.

Parmjit Dhanda: Regional Ministers divide their time between their roles as Regional Minister, Departmental Minister and constituency Member of Parliament. The amount of time devoted to each role varies from week to week according to events in the region and the Minister's other commitments.

Regional Ministers: Finance

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial and other resources are available to regional Ministers to support them in the discharge of their duties.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Regional Ministers are not allocated separate budgets and their support costs are funded by their own Departments and the Government Office Network from within existing budgets. To provide a breakdown of the financial costs to support each regional Minister would incur disproportionate costs. In addition to the staff in their departmental Private Offices and Government Offices, each regional Minister, with the exception of the Minister for the North East of England, also has 40 hours per month from a dedicated GNN press officer.

Regional Planning and Development: Greenbelt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proposals for reviews or changes to green belt land are contained within the draft regional spatial strategies.

Caroline Flint: Green belts have performed an important role in preventing urban sprawl and protecting the countryside for 50 years and Government have no plans to change its policy on the green belt set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2. Green belt boundary reviews are matters for local planning authorities and regional planning bodies. Boundaries can only be changed in exceptional circumstances and after public consultation and public inquiry through the development plan process. Nationally, the amount of green belt land continues to grow, with an 80,000 acre increase since 1997.
	The relevant policies in draft regional spatial strategies which currently refer to green belt land are as follows:
	 North EastPolicy 6.5
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/gone/ourregion/regional_strategies/
	 North WestPolicy RDF5
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/Planning/RegionalPlanning/
	 Yorkshire and Humber Policy YH9
	http://www.yhassembly.gov.uk/News/2007/Assemblv %20welcomes%20publication%20of%20RSS%20 panel%20report/
	 East MidlandsPolicy 27
	http://www.gos.gov.uk/goem/psc/suscom/rss/eastmidlandsplan/
	 West Midlands
	West Midlands Phase 1no reference to green belt
	West Midlands Phase 2no reference to green belt
	West Midlands Phase 3currently under preparation
	http://www.wmra.gov.uk/page.asp?id=47
	 East of EnglandPolicy SS7
	http://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=120
	 South EastPolicy CCl0a
	http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/plan/view_ plan.html
	 South WestPolicy 3.35
	http://www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=836 (Draft)
	 LondonNo review of the green belt proposed
	http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/

Regional Planning and Development: Public Bodies

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) non-departmental public bodies,  (b) executive agencies and  (c) non-ministerial departments have responsibility for regional strategy and funding.

John Healey: Regional Development Agencies, which have a budget of over 2.2 billion in 2007-08, are the lead strategic non-departmental public body in each region. They are sponsored by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	My Department published details of the public bodies it sponsored as at 31 March 2007 in its report, The Department for Communities and Local Government's Public Bodies 2007, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Of these bodies, English Partnerships, The Housing Corporation and The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation have particular responsibility for contributing to regional strategy and funding.
	In addition, Government Offices deliver a wide range of Government policies and programmes on behalf of Whitehall departments, including my Department.

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will publish her response to the draft South East Plan; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Secretary of State's proposed changes to the draft regional spatial strategy (RSS) for the South East will be published for consultation later this year. It is difficult, at this stage, to commit to a precise publication date for the proposed changes given the complexity of the issues involved. Our aim, as it stands now, is to publish the proposed changes before the summer recess.
	The Secretary of State will make a statement to the House when they are being published.
	We will also undertake a full 12-week public consultation to provide an opportunity for all interested parties to make representations on the proposed changes.

Thames Gateway

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 31 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 589-91W, on the Thames Gateway, whether the Olympics Delivery Authority is involved in the development.

Caroline Flint: The Olympic Delivery Authority is developing the Olympic Park, and other sporting venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These provide a unique contribution to the wider Thames Gateway regeneration programme. There is close liaison between the Thames Gateway Executive and the ODA, with regard to both 2012 delivery and legacy planning, to ensure that the two projects reinforce one another in the most effective way.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) staff and  (b) full-time equivalent staff under 18 years of age are employed by his Department.

Gillian Merron: There are no staff under the age of 18 years employed by the Department for International Development.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertaining in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: DFID's total spend on entertainment within administration cost budgets in the last 12 months was 265,360. We do not have any agencies.
	It is not possible to disaggregate specific entertainment costs without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Retirement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff in his Department retired on grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: None.

Departmental Sick Pay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: It is not possible to provide an accurate figure for the cost of sickness pay without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Gillian Merron: DFID appoints temporary administrative staff predominantly through two Recruitment Agencies (one based in London and one in East Kilbride). The average rates are as detailed in the following table but are only available in London from 2002 and in East Kilbride from 2005 without incurring disproportionate costs:
	
		
			  Agency/charge rate 
			   
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  Pre-April 2007  Post-April 2007 
			 London 10.40 10.40 10.40 10.40 10.40 10.80 11.36 
			 East Kilbride n/a n/a n/a 7.30 7.30 7.74 9.27 
		
	
	For more specialist staff, e.g. IT and communications specialists, records are held by different budget holders across the department, and it is not possible to provide hourly rates without disproportionate costs.

Developing Countries: Clinical Trials

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with  (a) governments of developing countries and  (b) international organisations on cases where UK-based pharmaceutical companies' clinical trials on medicinal products in developing countries have caused death, injury or blindness; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if his Department will provide support to people in developing countries who have been adversely affected, or have had close relatives killed, in pharmaceutical trials of medicinal products of UK-based pharmaceutical companies.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government regulates clinical trials run by the pharmaceutical industry through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. DFID has had no reason to have discussions with developing countries' governments or international organisations about cases where clinical trials run by UK-based pharmaceutical companies have caused death, injury or blindness.
	All clinical trials that receive DFID funding are run according to good clinical practice and are also listed on the international clinical trials register. To protect people taking part in clinical trials funded by DFID, each trial has its own Independent Data Monitoring Committee, which looks at the data collected as the trial progresses, and a separate independent Trial Steering Committee (which oversees and monitors the trial). These committees have the power to stop the trial at any time and at the earliest indication of harm.
	Clinical trials run by pharmaceutical companies have insurance, to make provision for anyone harmed in research, and no-fault compensation schemes. DFID is not involved in any UK-based pharmaceutical company trials and therefore can not make provision for anyone claiming to have been harmed by participation.

Developing Countries: Infant Mortality

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that economic growth in developing countries has a positive impact on infant mortality; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Economic growth means that governments have more resources to invest in critical services. The Department for International Development (DFID) works with countries to improve the quality of spending allocations and public service delivery to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared equally. DFID pioneered the International Health Partnership (IHP) which was launched in September 2007. By committing partners to work together to support Government's health plans, the IHP will seek to remove obstacles to stronger health systems. DFID is now supporting the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank and other international health agencies to implement the IHP in the eight first wave countries and in encouraging more countries to join.

Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments his Department has made to  (a) Marie Stopes International,  (b) International Planned Parenthood Federation,  (c) British Pregnancy Advisory Service,  (d) United Nations Population Fund and  (e) Family Planning Association (UK) for (i) abortion, (ii) family planning and (iii) other reproductive health services in each of the last five years; what the total of grants made to each organisation in each of the last five years was; what restrictions there are on the use of these funds; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Details on DFID's core contributions to each organisation over the last five years are laid out in the following table.
	
		
			  DFID  p rogramme 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			  000 
			  Organisation  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 International Planned Parenthood Federation 4,500 10,500 6,000  7,500 
			 UN Population Fund 9,000 18,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 
		
	
	Core contributions are provided in support of an organisation's overall development activities and are disbursed at the discretion of the organisation and can therefore not be broken down into sectors.
	Project specific funding is also delivered via Marie Stopes International, the UN Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Consolidated records on the amount of project specific funding delivered via intermediary organisations are not held centrally.
	No funding was provided to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service or the Family Planning Association (UK).
	DFID does not promote abortion as a method of family planning. However, if a woman decides to have an abortion, she should be able to access care and services that are safe. Where it is legal, DFID works to ensure the saving of women's lives through abortion services that are safe. DFID also promotes awareness of unsafe abortion as a serious women's health issue.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what technical support his Department is providing to countries with high incidences of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to  (a) submit proposals for grants to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and  (b) build internal capacity to maximise value for money from such grant funding.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government support health-related technical assistance in several developing countries. DFID also supports a variety of organisations, including UN agencies, such as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Stop TB and Roll Back Malaria, which help countries to develop proposals for grants to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
	Through the International Health Partnership, the UK is also working with the Global Fund and others to minimise the administrative burden on countries of funding from external donors.

Infant Mortality

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of progress towards meeting Millennium Development Goal 4; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The latest assessment of progress towards Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 is included in the annual State of the World's Children Report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) published in January 2008. Overall in 2006, global child deaths reached a record low of 9.7 million, down from 13 million in 1990. The report showed that solid progress has been made in a number of countries such as Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda and Tanzania.
	The report also highlighted that a concentrated push is required to accelerate progress in West Africa and parts of Asia to cut child deaths. MDG 4 is inextricably linked to MDG 5 (to improve maternal health) as 40 per cent. of children under the age of five are dying within a few days of birth. This is why the Prime Minister has called for 2008 to be a year of action towards meeting the MDGs especially those concerned with child mortality (MDG 4) and maternal health (MDG 5), which remain the most off-track.

Overseas Aid: Health

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in the development of international health partnership compacts between international development partners and the governments of  (a) Burundi,  (b) Cambodia,  (c) Ethiopia,  (d) Kenya,  (e) Mozambique,  (f) Nepal,  (g) Zambia and  (h) Mali; whether he has identified inadequate funding as a hindrance in the development of any such compact; and what arrangements his Department has in place to overcome any such hindrance.

Gillian Merron: The international health agencies, under the leadership of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank, are now implementing the International Health Partnership (IHP). At the country-level, the governments are working with these agencies and other donors to develop country compacts. We do not have specific information on the progress in each of the IHP countries. There will be a meeting in Lusaka, Zambia this month to review progress in individual countries. Early indications are positive. WHO expects the first set of compacts to be ready by September 2008.
	The health agencies have identified a budget of 7 million over two years in order to implement the IHP. To date 4 million has already been provided, with the UK funding 3.5 million and Norway 0.5 million. The WHO and the World Bank are approaching other countries to provide the balance of costs in year two of this work. Part of these funds are earmarked to offset the costs involved in developing country compacts.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

College of Chiropractors: Royal Charters

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make it his policy to support the application by the College of Chiropractors to the Privy Council for a Royal Charter.

Bill Rammell: Decisions as to whether to grant a Royal Charter are matters for the Privy Council, who assess applications against the published criteria. Each petition is considered on its own merits and it would not be appropriate for me to make a policy statement concerning individual Charter petitions.

Education: Pharmacy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will add pharmacy courses to the list of courses exempt from the forthcoming changes to equivalent or lower qualifications students.

Bill Rammell: The vast majority of pharmacy students already study the subject as a first degree rather than as an equivalent or lower level qualification. The redistribution of 100 million by 2010 would enable the same number of pharmacy students to be funded as now but with even more studying the subject as a first degree. In that way we will increase and widen participation which is our top priority. We also value those who have already got a first HE qualification and who want to retrain in a different subject. There will be opportunities for them available, for example, through Foundation Degrees and employer co-funded provision.
	In addition, there will be a review mechanism each year to look at individual subjects of particular economic or social importance. We are asking the Funding Council each year to look at levels of demand for subjects which might in future be regarded as key because of their economic or social significance, and to advise us on the best way forward. The first such review should take place starting in December 2008, in the light of entry data for the 2008/09 academic year. That would be an opportunity to have another look at pharmacy and other subjects in the light of the data that will then be available.

Foreign Students: Fees and Charges

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what mechanisms are in place to collect retrospective tuition fees from students at UK universities from EU countries once they return to their home countries.

Bill Rammell: The Student Loans Company has established payment arrangements for borrowers from other European Union countries who dropped out of their studies and became due to make repayment in April 2007, or who have graduated and become eligible to repay from April 2008. These existing arrangements will continue to apply when the first full cohort of borrowers from EU countries enters into repayment in April 2010.
	The SLC has written to all EU borrowers due to start repayment and asked them to confirm the address where they expect to reside after graduation. If they are staying in the UK, they will be expected to obtain a national insurance number and make repayments through the UK tax system. If they are going abroad they will be asked to supply an address and complete an overseas assessment form to allow repayments to be scheduled. These borrowers have been made aware of the variety of methods of repayment available to them.
	So that all who can pay contribute to the costs of their education we have put in place variable threshold bands which are dependent on where the borrower lives. Effective collection across the EU is underpinned by EC regulation 44/2001, which allows the SLC to obtain judgments in UK courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries.
	In support of the EU repayment process the SLC is developing an enforcement strategy for borrowers who move abroad but who do not provide income details. This work is focussing on the collection of penalties, arrears and the movement of borrowers into litigation where this is appropriate. The SLC is piloting work in these areas and expects to have final arrangements in place by April 2009.

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of those who gained A-levels enrolled on a degree course at a higher education institution in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Administrative data sources do not currently allow us to calculate the proportion of those who gained A Levels and enrolled on a degree course at higher education.
	Some rates of entry to higher education by prior qualification are available from the Youth Cohort Study (YCS). The latest available figures are based on 19-year-olds in
	2006-07:
	82 per cent. of those with academic Level 3 qualifications at age 18 are in HE by age 19.
	47 per cent. of those with vocational Level 3 qualifications at age 18 are in HE by age 19.
	Although the YCS cannot reliably be used to make comparisons over time, the data do suggest that conversion rates from A level to HE have been reasonably constant at above 80 per cent.

Higher Education: Admissions

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of students applied for a university place on completion of their A-levels in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) the South West and  (c) England in each year since 1979.

Bill Rammell: Administrative data sources do not currently allow us to calculate the proportion of those who gained A-levels who applied for a university place, nor is application information for 18-year-olds available by smaller areas.
	The latest available information on all 18-year-old applicants is given in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of English domiciled 18-year-old applicants to full-time undergraduate courses in the UK 
			  Year of entry  Applicants 
			 2000 151,060 
			 2001 156,240 
			 2002 157,585 
			 2003 161,480 
			 2004 160,450 
			 2005 175,405 
			 2006 173,805 
			 2007 176,305 
			  Note:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.   Source: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). 
		
	
	Figures are not available for earlier years than 2000. Also, figures for Cornwall and the South West are not available, only for England as a whole. It is not possible to separate applicants who have completed A-levels as opposed to other qualifications. Therefore figures for all English domiciled 18-year-old university applicants have been provided. Latest figures for 2008 entry show that, as at 15 January, 18-year-old applicants from England were up by 5 per cent.
	The main measure for tracking progress on increasing participation in higher education is currently the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR). This is the sum of the HE initial participation rates for individual ages between 17 and 30 inclusive. It covers English-domiciled first time entrants to HE courses, which are expected to last for at least six months, at UK higher education institutions and English, Scottish and Welsh further education colleges, and who remain on their course for at least six months. An 18-year-old rate can be derived from this, and the available figures are shown in Table 2:
	
		
			  Table 2: Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) 
			  Percentage 
			   17-30 age group  18-year-olds 
			 1999/2000 39.3 19.3 
			 2000/01 39.7 19.5 
			 2001/02 40.2 19.6 
			 2002/03 41.2 19.7 
			 2003/04 40.3 19.2 
			 2004/05 41.3 19.6 
			 2005/06 42.8 21.3 
			  Source:  Participation Rates in Higher Education: Academic Years 1999/2000 to 2005/06 (Provisional) Statistical First Release, published by DfES. 
		
	
	Figures are not available for earlier years than 1999/2000. Figures for 2006/07 will become available in 2008. The HEIPR is not disaggregated below national level. The HEIPR does not distinguish between students who have completed A-levels as opposed to other qualifications.
	For information, the percentage of 17-year-olds achieving one or more A-level has changed over the period 1994 to 2007 as follows:
	
		
			  17-year-olds achieving one or more GCE/VCE/Applied A-levels (or equivalent( 1) ) 
			   Percentage 
			 1994 29.1 
			 1995 30.5 
			 1996 31.0 
			 1997 30.8 
			 1998 33.3 
			 1999 33.8 
			 2000 34.9 
			 2001 37.3 
			 2002 39.0 
			 2003 38.9 
			 2004 39.4 
			 2005 38.8 
			 2006 39.0 
			 2007 38.8 
			 (1 )Includes Advanced GNVQ between 1998 and 2001.   Note:  Figures relate to 17-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in all schools and colleges.   Source:  The figures are taken from the 2006/2007 SFR, published on 9 January, and can be found at http://www. dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000769/index.shtml

Higher Education: Student Numbers

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many additional places for first-time students will be funded in 2008-09 as a result of the shift in funding away from students on courses that are equivalent or lower to qualifications they already hold.

Bill Rammell: The January 2008 Grant Letter to HEFCE set out our expectations for growth in student numbers. As a result of the 2 per cent. real terms increase in funding for HE we are making available over the next three years, and our decision to redistribute grant away from students doing second degrees or other HE qualifications at an equivalent or lower level (ELQs) in order to fund more first degree students, there is scope overall to fund significant growth. In full-time equivalent terms, we expect a growth in core-fundable students of 20,000 in 2008-09 (on a full-time equivalent basis) either entering higher education for the first time or progressing to higher degrees of which some 5,000 are attributable to our decision to redistribute funding which would otherwise have funded ELQ students.

Higher Education: Student Wastage

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time students under 22 years old withdrew from their higher education course in each year since 2001.

Bill Rammell: The information available on non-continuation of young higher education students is shown in Tables 1 and 2. The figures are taken from the Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Table 1 shows the proportion of UK-domiciled young (under 21) full-time first degree entrants to higher education institutions in England, who do not continue in higher education after their first year. Table 2 shows the proportion of UK-domiciled young (under 21) full-time other undergraduate entrants to higher education institutions in England who do not continue in higher education after their first year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of UK-domiciled young (under 21) full-time first degree entrants to English higher education institutions not continuing in higher education after their first year 
			  Academic year  Percentage 
			 2001/02 7.0 
			 2002/03 7.3 
			 2003/04 7.2 
			 2004/05 6.8 
			  Source:  Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 : Percentage of young (under 21) full-time  other undergraduate  entrants to English higher education institutions not continuing in higher education after their first year 
			  Academic year  Percentage 
			 2001/02 16.3 
			 2002/03 16.1 
			 2003/04 17.5 
			 2004/05 16.6 
			  Source:  Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA. 
		
	
	Figures for 2005/06 will become available in 2008.
	HESA do not publish figures on the percentage of part-time students not continuing in higher education after their first year.
	According to the 2004 figures published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the overall completion rate of 78 per cent. for Type A (first degree equivalent) courses in UK universities and colleges of higher education is the fifth highest among the OECD countries, after Japan, Ireland, Korea and Greece, and is above the OECD average of 70 per cent.

Higher Education: Terrorism

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many reports have been made to the Government by higher education providers about extremism on campus in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: No formal written reports have been submitted to HMG by higher education providers on extremism on campus in the last 12 months. However, there is a regular on-going dialogue between officials and Ministers in the DIUS and higher education providers, Universities UK, the NUS and the University and College Union concerning the issue of violent extremist activity in higher education.
	All higher education providers have regular contact with their local police force and have ongoing discussions about issues and concerns within their HEI.

Postgraduate Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether public funding is available for students studying for a masters in research degree who already hold a level 7 qualification.

Bill Rammell: Public funding for research degrees is distributed through the research grant we give to HEFCE which will rise by 18 per cent. in cash terms from under 1.4 billion this year to over 1.6 billion over the next three years. Funding for research has been and will continue to be allocated selectively on the basis of excellence. Students already holding level 7 qualifications will as now continue to be funded for a Masters Research degree provided they are studying in a department rated 4 and above in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise.

Students: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of part-time  (a) first degree and  (b) second degree students who had their fees paid by an employer in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of part-time first degree and postgraduate students who had their fees paid by an employer, English Higher Education Institutions, academic year 2006/07 
			   First degree  Postgraduate 
			  Major source of tuition fees  Number  Percentage of known  Number  Percentage of known 
			 Employer(1) 19,190 11.1 42,845 20.4 
			 Other 154,855 89.3 170,850 81.2 
			 Total known 173,380 100.0 210,430 100.0 
			 Unknown 665  3,260  
			 Total 174,045  213,695  
			 (1) Employer as major source of tuition fees includes students who were recorded as having their tuition fees paid by student's employer and UK industry/commerce.   Note:  Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and have been rounded to the nearest five.   Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	Economic competitiveness demands knowledge-intensive, innovating, organisations, with highly skilled and knowledgeable workforces. Substantial numbers of learners already receive support for first and subsequent degrees with employers paying their fees and often providing other support. We recently announced plans to deliver real growth in higher education co-funded with employers. We are making the public investmentrising to at least 50 million in 2010-11and look to employers to work with us to deliver.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of people making repayments of student loans were also claiming the working tax credit or child tax credit in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many and what proportion were higher rate income tax payers.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students have entered into individual voluntary arrangements since their introduction.

Bill Rammell: The Government's student finance package is designed to ensure that finance should not be a barrier to a higher education course. Student loans from the Government are not like commercial loans: interest is paid at the rate of inflation, so in real terms students only pay back what they borrowed. For income contingent loans available since 1998, repayment is linked to earnings and borrowers only repay if their earnings are over 15,000; from April 2012 they will be able to take up to five years 'Repayment Holiday' and those taking out a student loan from 2006 have their debt cancelled after 25 years.
	During the passage of the Enterprise Act in 2002 there was a growing awareness about student loan borrowers declaring themselves bankrupt. There was a rise in the number of bankruptcies/Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs) notified in 2003. In addition, one of the effects of the Enterprise Act itself was to reduce the period of discharge from bankruptcy from three years to one. Provisions were therefore included in the Higher Education Act 2004 to prevent student loans being written off on bankruptcy. Currently student loans are not exempt from IVAs.
	The increase in student loan borrowers with bankruptcies and IVAs should be seen in the context of the increases in the general population. Figures from the Insolvency Service show that between 2002 and 2006 the number of individual bankruptcies in England and Wales more than doubled; the number of IVAs increased seven-fold.
	Until 2004 IVAs and bankruptcies were not recorded separately in SLC data. After the change in legislation, only IVAs are recorded, as student loans are excluded from bankruptcy debts and are not written off on discharge from bankruptcy.
	Available data are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  English domiciled borrowers with publicly-owned student loans who notified the Student Loans Company (SLC) of their bankruptcy or Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA)( 1) calendar year of bankruptcy or IVA 1997 to 2004 
			  Calendar year  Borrowers with bankruptcy or IVA  Percentage of all borrowers UK( 2) 
			 1997 70 n/a 
			 1998 90 n/a 
			 1999 120 n/a 
			 2000 130 0.017 
			 2001 230 0.023 
			 2002 270 0.027 
			 2003 800 0.057 
			 2004 1,170 0.072 
			 n/a = not available. (1) Bankruptcies and IVAs are not separately identified in the data. There may be delays between borrowers becoming bankrupt/taking an IVA and notifying SLC, therefore figures can increase overtime, particularly for the most recent years. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) UK borrowers with bankruptcy or IVA in the calendar year as a percentage of all UK borrowers in the March of each year.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	
		
			  English domiciled borrowers with publicly-owned student loans who notified the Student Loans Company (SLC) of their Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA)( 1) calendar year of IVA 2005 and 2006 
			  Calendar year  Borrowers with IVAs  Percentage of all borrowers England( 2) 
			 2005 (provisional) 820 0.039 
			 2006 (provisional) 1,060 0.047 
			 (1) There may be delays between borrowers taking IVAs and notifying SLC, therefore figures can increase over time, particularly for the most recent years. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) English domiciled borrowers with bankruptcy or IVA in the calendar year as a percentage of all English domiciled borrowers in the March of each year.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	Early indications suggest the numbers of IVAs are reducing after 2006.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of qualifications which count towards the Skills for Life target are  (a) wholly and  (b) partly funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

David Lammy: For the Skills for Life 2010 PSA target, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has adopted the aim of achieving the whole of the PSA target and therefore aims to deliver 2.25 million learner achievements by 2010. Prior to 2007-08, there were contributions from Jobcentre Plus and the Offender Learning, for which LSC now has assumed responsibility for planning and funding.
	The data on Skills for Life achievements to July 2006 indicate that a total of 1,759,000 people have achieved a first Skills for Life qualification since 2001. Of those achievements, 1,610,000 were delivered by the LSC, 138,000 were delivered through the Offender Learning and 12,000 were delivered through programmes for Jobcentre Plus clients funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The LSC has also committed to funding 100 per cent. of the new Skills for Life targets indicators for 2011, as agreed through the 2007 comprehensive spending review and set out in the LSC's statement of priorities published in November 2007.
	Adult literacy and numeracy courses which contribute to the target are fully funded by the LSC and are free to learners.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria are required to be met for a qualification to be considered as qualifying for the Skills for Life target.

David Lammy: The generic criterion is that all qualifications that count to national targets have to be accredited by QCA for inclusion in the National Qualifications Framework and approved by the Secretary of State under Sections 96 and 97.
	For the 2010 Skills for Life PSA target this includes GCSE in maths and English, key skills in communication and application of number and the certificates in adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL skills for life and will include the newly developed functional skills in English and maths, when achieved at entry level 3, level 1 and level 2.
	For the 2011 adult literacy and numeracy indicators this will continue, although measurement of progress towards the target will only count those people achieving a qualification at functional levelslevel 1 for literacy and entry level 3 for in numeracy.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients who attended accident and emergency services in the most recent period for which figures are available he estimates were in priority group  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) five as defined by the Manchester Triage System.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. Clinical decisions on the care and treatment given to patients are a matter for local clinicians.
	Recently-published figures show that, for the period October to December 2007, there were 4,625,426 attendances at all types of accident and emergency department in England.

Air Purification

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the use of air purification equipment in the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Building regulations require that all enclosed workspaces be ventilated by either natural or mechanical means. The Department's detailed guidance documents, Health Technical Memorandum 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises (parts A and B) provide comprehensive advice and guidance to health care management, design engineers, estates managers and operations managers on the legal requirements, design implications, maintenance and operation of specialised ventilation in all types of health care premises. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library.
	Ventilation is used extensively in all types of health care premises to provide a safe and comfortable environment for patients and staff. It can include filtration and purification systems that are aimed at diluting and controlling airborne pathogenic material.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions via accident and emergency to NHS hospitals for alcohol-related conditions there were in 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 18 February 2008
	In 2006-07 there were 162,080 finished admission episodes via Accident and Emergency (AE) where the primary or secondary diagnosis was alcohol related. This figure describes activity in national health service hospitals England and activity in the English independent sector, commissioned by English NHS.
	 Notes:
	 Finished admission episodes (FAE)
	A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	 All diagnoses count of mentions
	These figures represent a count of all mentions of a diagnosis in any of the 14 diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set. Therefore, if a diagnosis is mentioned in more than one diagnosis field during an episode, all diagnoses are counted.
	 Emergency admission
	These are the emergency admission codes to specify in more detail how the patient was admitted to hospital.
	21 = Emergency: via A and E services, including the casualty department of the provider
	28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A and E department of another health care provider
	 Alcohol related diagnoses
	F10 - Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol.
	T51 - Toxic effect of alcohol.
	K70 - Alcoholic liver disease.
	 Data quality
	HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
	 Source:
	HES, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Ambulance Services: Cirencester

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of hours per week Cirencester is without Cirencester-based ambulance cover due to ambulances  (a) taking patients to hospitals in and  (b) being called to emergencies in other towns.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department expects ambulance trusts to plan their resources to ensure that there is an appropriate provision of ambulance coverage for the communities they serve.
	Therefore, this is a local matter for the Great Western Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many emergency incidents were responded to by ambulance services in England in each year since 1997-98, broken down by NHS ambulance trust;
	(2)  how many emergency calls to ambulance services there have been in each year since 1997-98  (a) for England in total and  (b) broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ben Bradshaw: Information about the number of emergency incidents responded to by ambulance services in England are contained in the KA34 Statistical Bulletin published annually by the Information Centre. Table 4 of the bulletin Ambulance Services, England 2001-02 gives the figures from 1997-98 to 2001-02.
	Table 4 of Ambulance Services, England 2006-07 gives the figures from 2002-03 to 2006-07. However, it should be noted that there were mergers of the majority of national health service trusts providing ambulance services in 2006, with the data in this table being split by ambulance trust configuration for comparability purposes.
	Information about the number of emergency calls for England are also contained in the KA34 Statistical Bulletin Ambulance Services, England 2006-07. Data on emergency calls are collected by NHS Ambulance Trust level not by strategic health authority area.
	Copies of the bulletins are available in the Library and the bulletin for 2006-07 is available at the following website:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance/ambulance-services-england-2006-07

Arthritis: Drugs

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what drug treatments are available on the NHS to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have not responded to rituximab or may not take it for clinical reasons.

Dawn Primarolo: Details of licensed drug treatments for rheumatoid arthritis are contained in the British National Formulary.

Bowel Surgery

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for  (a) establishing and  (b) evaluating a pilot training programme for laparoscopic bowel surgery; and what criteria he will use in making a decision about national implementation.

Ann Keen: The pilot training programme for laparoscopic colorectal cancer is currently being set up. Following a tender exercise, carried out by the national cancer action team, nine training centres have been selected and were appointed in January 2008. The pilot is due to run for a period of 18 months with an evaluation being carried out towards the end of the project. The evaluation will make recommendations for the future and among the success criteria will be patient outcomes and satisfaction, the competency of surgical training, assessment, accreditation and value for money.

Breast Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what timetable he has set for extending breast screening to nine screening rounds between the ages of 47 and 73 years.

Ann Keen: Paragraph 3.21 of the Cancer Reform Strategy stated that the extension of the national health service breast screening programme to nine screening rounds between the ages of 47 and 73 years will start from April 2008, with full implementation expected by the end of 2012.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to increase numbers taking up breast and cervical cancer screening.

Ann Keen: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar), on 31 January 2008,  Official Report, column 594W.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have spent on recruitment of breast screening radiographers and radiologists in the last five years.

Ann Keen: The number of breast screening radiographers and radiologists recruited each year is not collected centrally. Local national health service organisations are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce they need.
	The annual NHS Workforce Census does not separately identify the number of breast screening radiographers and radiologists employed from the rest of the radiography and radiology workforce.
	The Department does collect the number of radiographers and radiologists working in the NHS. The number of qualified radiographers employed in the NHS has increased by 2,793 (23.72 per cent.) since September 1997.
	The number of diagnostic radiographers has increased by 2,171 (20.9 per cent.) since 1997.
	The number of therapeutic radiographers has increased by 622 (44.2 per cent.) since 1997.
	The number of consultant radiologists has increased by 632 (42.9 per cent.) since 1997.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health service (HCHS): scientific, therapeutic and technical staff by type, England as at 30 September each year 
			  Headcount 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Qualified allied health professions   
			 All radiographers 11,771 12,118 12,330 10,478 10,655 13,031 13,344 13,900 14,539 14,564 
			  Of which:   
			 Diagnostic radiography 10,364 10,645 10,839 9,169 9,264 11,489 11,687 12,147 12,700 12,535 
			 Therapeutic radiography 1,407 1,473 1,491 1,309 1,391 1,542 1,657 1,753 1,839 2,029 
			  Notes:  1. New occupation codes for health care scientists were introduced in 2003. As a result, a small number of staff previously included under diagnostic radiography are now classified within medical physics.  2. More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 9,858 duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census. Although this represents less than 1 per cent. of total records, it should be taken into consideration when making historical comparisons. These 9,858 duplicate records, broken down by main staff group, are: 3,370 qualified nurses; 1,818 qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 2,719 support to doctors and nurses, 368 support to scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 1,562 NHS infrastructure support; and 21 in other areas. 3. The impact of duplicates on full-time equivalent numbers has been minimal with the removal of 507.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	
		
			  HCHS medical and dental consultants (including Directors of Public Health) by specialty group, England at 30 September 
			  Number 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Radiology 1,473 1,514 1,540 1,616 1,683 1,745 1,860 1,928 2,058 2,105 
			  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breast cancer screenings there were in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The requested information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Breast screening programme: women screened by specified breast screening unit, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Breast screening unit  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 All ages 45 and over 36,232 35,191 35,367 38,123 40,007 
			 East Lancashire 13,268 12,290 15,019 16,317 15,920 
			 North Lancashire 22,964 22,901 20,348 21,806 24,087 
			  Of which  
			 Ages 50-64 33,162 31,815 29,671 30,116 29,741 
			 East Lancashire 12,356 10,851 11,420 12,641 12,259 
			 North Lancashire 20,806 20,964 18,251 17,475 17,482 
			  Notes:  1. The breast screening programme covers women aged 50-64, but it was extended to invite women aged 65-70 in April 2001. The last unit began inviting women aged 65-70 in April 2006 and full coverage should be achieved by 2008-09. 2. There are some women in the age range 45-49 who are invited to be screened, most of whom are women aged 49 who have been called for their first routine screening a few months early.  Source:  KC62 (parts 1, tables A to F2), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, by what means he plans to determine whether Britain's cancer services are among the best in the world by 2012.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy sets out a programme of action to improve cancer services in England rather than the whole of Britain.
	As the strategy is implemented, we will track our progress in relation to other countries on issues such as survival and mortality, awareness, early detection, access to different forms of treatment, clinical outcomes, patient experience and costs.
	However, these comparisons are not simple and the National Cancer Intelligence Network will be asked to develop a framework to allow for accurate comparisons with other countries.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, by what means he plans to measure the extent to which local NHS organisations follow advice contained in the strategy; and what sanctions there will be on NHS organisations which do not follow the advice.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy was developed in the context of changes in the relationship between the centre and those working at a local level in the national health service, and the understanding that decisions are increasingly made locally whenever possible. The strategy contains a range of advice, guidance and expectation and implementation will be monitored in a number of ways.
	As part of their performance management role, strategic health authorities will be expected to monitor the performance of primary care trusts and specialist commissioning group in relation to cancer commissioning, against the key criteria set out in the strategy and in the forthcoming commissioning guide.
	The Healthcare Commission, and the future Care Quality Commission, will continue to play an important role in assessing whether cancer services are delivered in accordance with national guidance and standards. Improved data on clinical outcomes will also enable us to monitor the implementation of existing guidelines and these results will be shared with the regulator.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he plans to evaluate the impact of the strategy to tackle obesity on cancer incidence; and by what means.

Ann Keen: It was acknowledged in the Cancer Reform Strategy that obesity is now the most preventable risk factor for cancer and accounts for 10 per cent. of all cancer deaths among non-smokers.
	'Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives' committed to annual reviews on progress towards meeting the New Ambition on Healthy Weight. In addition to indicators of body mass index, the Government are seeking to develop further indicators of success in achieving the New Ambition.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for launching a national awareness and early diagnosis initiative; when he plans to evaluate the effectiveness of such an initiative; and by what means.

Ann Keen: The national awareness and early diagnosis initiative will be composed of several separate but related components, including the development of key messages about cancer risks and symptoms, development of an awareness assessment tool, a survey of public awareness, pilots of different approaches to raise awareness, and an audit of general practitioner referrals. Each component has its own timescale and will be evaluated separately.
	The specific details of the initiative are currently being developed but it is anticipated that work will be beginning imminently.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for undertaking a national audit in primary care of newly-diagnosed cancers.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently in discussion with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the National Patient Safety Agency about setting up and running the national audit in primary care of newly diagnosed cancers. The audit tool will be developed and tested in 2008.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy 
	(1)  when he plans to extend the 31 day standard to cover all cancer treatments; how often he plans to measure achievement of this standard; and what sanctions will be imposed on NHS organisations which do not meet the standard;
	(2)  when he expects all patients with suspected cancer detected through national screening programmes to enter the 62 day pathway; how often he plans to measure performance against this standard; and what sanctions there will be for NHS organisations which do not meet the standard;
	(3)  what the timetable is for ensuring that hospital specialists are able to ensure that patients who were not referred urgently by their GP, but who have symptoms indicating a high suspicion of cancer, are managed on the 62 day pathway; how often he plans to measure performance against this standard; by what means; and what sanctions will be imposed on NHS organisations which do not meet the standard;
	(4)  what the timetable is for ensuring that all patients referred to a specialist with breast symptoms, even if cancer is not suspected, will be seen within two weeks of referral; how often he plans to measure the achievement of this standard; and what sanctions will be imposed on NHS organisations which do not meet the standard.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy (December 2007) proposed an extension to the current cancer waiting times standards that were introduced by the National Health Service Cancer Plan (September 2000). The proposed implementation timescales for these extended standards are:
	
		
			  Standard  Implemented from 
			 Patients referred to a specialist with breast symptoms (where cancer is not initially suspected) should be seen within two weeks of referral December 2009 
			   
			 All patients with suspected cancer detected through national screening programmes should be seen within 62 days December 2008 
			   
			 All patients who receive radiotherapy as a second or subsequent treatment should begin within 31 days December 2010 
			   
			 All patients who receive radiotherapy as a second or subsequent treatment should begin within 31 days December 2008 
			   
			 All patients who receive chemotherapy or surgery as a second or subsequent treatment (including treatments for recurrent conditions) should begin treatment within 31 days December 2008 
			   
			 Hospital specialists will have the right to ensure that patients who were not referred urgently by their GP, but who have symptoms or signs indicating a high suspicion of cancer, are managed on the 62 day pathway Implementation date to be confirmed, but guidance on monitoring will be circulated in 2008 
		
	
	The Department will monitor NHS progress towards delivery, and achievement of these extended standards by NHS organisations on a quarterly basis. The mechanism to be used for monitoring progress and achievement is currently under consideration by a joint departmental and NHS expert group.
	The sanctions imposed will depend on the performance of the healthcare organisations concerned. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are funded to meet the healthcare needs of their populations, which will include the provision of cancer services. PCTs are expected to plan for and commission services, and monitor delivery of those services against local agreements. Commissioners of cancer services will be subject to the wider assurance system being developed under the 'world class commissioning' programme, and managed by strategic health authorities. The Healthcare Commission also provides an independent assessment of both providing and commissioning healthcare organisations to ensure that they are providing a high standard of care.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for  (a) launching and  (b) evaluating (i) tumour specific national information pathways and (ii) implementation of the information prescriptions.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy said that to improve information for cancer patients, our immediate next step is for cancer networks to adopt and implement the tumour specific national information pathways which will be launched by the National Cancer Director on 21 July 2008. This will make nationally agreed information available to frontline cancer health professionals to offer to patients at key points in their cancer journey.
	We are also introducing information prescriptions, personalised prescriptions which will draw on local as well as national knowledge and information and will guide people to relevant websites, telephone numbers and support groups for their condition, as well as providing information directly to patients at appropriate times during their care pathway. The evaluation of the pilot programme, of which four sites are focusing on cancer, will take place during 2008. The evaluation will inform national implementation of information prescriptions for all people with long-term conditions, including cancer.
	To support the introduction of information prescriptions, the national cancer action team is working in partnership with cancer charities to develop a system to enable health professionals to generate tailored information prescriptions at any point in the cancer pathway. The system will draw on high quality national content, while making sure local details can be added. The project will be developed in 2008 for roll out in 2009.
	Providers will wish to consider how they can best audit information delivered to individual patients and whether this is meeting patients' needs. Commissioners should specify to providers through robust service specifications their requirements around patient information, which should be measurable and monitored through the quality monitoring of contracts at primary care trust level.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he expects commissioners to have robust systems in place to ensure that patients experience good continuity of care; by what means he plans to monitor progress towards this objective; and what sanctions will be imposed on NHS organisations which do not make sufficient progress.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy said that commissioners will want to work with providers to ensure they have robust systems in place to ensure that cancer patients experience good continuity of care. Commissioners should specify to providers through robust service specifications their requirements around continuity of care for cancer patients, which should be measurable and monitored through the quality monitoring of contracts at primary care trust level.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what timetable he has set for introducing a national cancer survivorship initiative; when he plans to evaluate the performance of such an initiative; and by what means.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy is a five year plan. The precise timetable for the introduction of the national cancer survivorship initiative has not yet been finalised. The new National Health Service Cancer Patient Experience Survey Programme will help to inform the evaluation of the initiative but full plans for evaluation have yet to be developed.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for introducing a National Cancer Equality initiative; when he plans to evaluate the performance of such an initiative; and by what means.

Ann Keen: In recognition of the challenge to reduce inequalities in cancer, the national cancer director will begin a National Cancer Equality Initiative, bringing together key stakeholders from the professions, voluntary sector, academia and equality groups to develop research proposals on cancer inequalities, test interventions and advise on the development of wider policy. The national cancer director is currently scoping the initiative, and a representative advisory group is currently being established. The advisory group will meet for the first time in spring 2008, and will report directly to the Department's Cancer Programme Board.
	This is a new initiative, and details of monitoring performance of the initiative and by what means will be decided as the work progresses.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he expects to deliver a programme of work on inpatient management to support local implementation of new cancer service models; and by what means he plans to monitor implementation of such cancer service models.

Ann Keen: There is already a programme of work in place across many cancer networks and primary care trusts (PCTs). In June, the cancer action team will be providing cancer networks and PCTs with benchmarked data to support local reviews of inpatient bed usage.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for developing national surveys to collect information on  (a) awareness of cancer (i) risk factors and (ii) symptoms among different groups within society and  (b) patients' experience of treatment.

Ann Keen: Cancer Research UK is developing a modular assessment tool to assess levels of awareness of cancer risk factors and symptoms. The tool is expected to be validated in the autumn 2008.
	The Department will use the tool to conduct national surveys of cancer symptom awareness across a random section of the population. The first survey of cancer symptom awareness is likely to be in late 2008 or 2009. It will then be repeated at least every two years.
	The national surveys on cancer symptom awareness are only intended to assess the public's knowledge levels and are entirely separate from any surveys looking at patient experiences.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he plans to establish a National Cancer Intelligence Network; when he plans to evaluate the performance of such a network; and by what means.

Ann Keen: A small coordinating team is already in place, based initially at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI). An initial meeting of the coordinating team and the major funding stakeholders took place in January 2008. A formal steering group, to oversee the development of the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN), will be set up in the first half of 2008. Once established the NCIN will be accountable, via its steering group, to the board of the NCRI.
	As the funders of research and analytical services in the United Kingdom, the partner organisations within the NCRI board will determine priorities for routine analyses at a national level and for research.
	Good quality information and data enhance patient choice, drive up service quality and underpin stronger commissioning. The performance of the NCIN will be measured by changes to clinical outcomes and patient experience, detailed in annual reports from the NCIN.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, how often he plans to evaluate the quality of support offered to primary care trusts by cancer networks; and by what means.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) will want to evaluate the quality of support they receive from cancer network teams as well as review the effectiveness of the cancer network and the contribution from its participants as a whole.
	The team in the cancer network is usually accountable to a nominated lead PCT chief executive for the cancer network who has responsibility for assessing individual and team performance against objectives set collectively by the PCTs in the network. The Cancer Reform Strategy makes clear that strategic health authorities will be expected to monitor the performance of their PCTs. PCTs in cancer networks will therefore be assessed at a national level against their performance on a range of national requirements and on-going existing commitments, for example cancer improving outcomes guidance.
	The cancer action team will also support cancer networks and their constituent PCTs to assess their individual and collective performance against a range of indicators that will be of local interest through the presentation of benchmarked information for England on the cancer commissioning toolkit which will be available in June 2008.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he expects to publish a guide for cancer commissioners; by what means he plans to measure the extent to which commissioners follow advice contained in the strategy; and what sanctions will be imposed on commissioners who do not follow that advice.

Ann Keen: Working with the national cancer action team, we plan to publish guidance for cancer commissioners later this year.
	Commissioners of cancer services will be subject to the wider assurance system being developed under the world class commissioning programme and managed by the strategic health authorities. The Healthcare Commission will also provide an independent assessment of provider and commissioner health care organisations to ensure that they are providing a high standard of care.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for making changes to payment by results taking account of findings from the review of payment by results and cancer.

Ann Keen: The review is not yet complete, and has yet to produce final recommendations. The initial findings of the review were incorporated into the Cancer Reform Strategy, and are reflected in paragraphs 9.32-9.34. Work on a timetable for changes to payment by results for cancer services will be undertaken once the final recommendations of the review have been received and considered. We expect the recommendations to be received shortly.

Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he plans to publish the first annual report on progress towards objectives contained in the strategy.

Ann Keen: No date has been set for the publication of the first annual progress report towards objectives contained in the Cancer Reform Strategy.

Cancer: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he expects the National Cancer Director to publish his evaluation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved cancer drug usage.

Ann Keen: As set out in the Cancer Reform Strategy, the National Cancer Director will repeat his evaluation of NICE approved cancer drug usage during 2008. It is expected that the evaluation report will be published before the end of the year.

Cancer: Finance

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what new funding he plans to make available for cancer services in each of the next five years.

Ann Keen: Alongside the Cancer Reform Strategy, we have published an Impact Assessment (IA) that sets out our estimated costs of implementing the strategy in each year. A copy of the IA is available in the Library. The funding to meet these expected costs is mainly being provided through primary care trusts' (PCT) general allocations, with some costs met centrally. PCT allocations are not broken down into funding streams for individual services, and it is for the national health service to decide locally how best to deliver the outcomes set out in the strategy, and the actual level of resources required to do so.

Cancer: Finance

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he plans to ensure that expenditure which does not benefit patients is eliminated; and by what means.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy provides advice, support and examples of best practice to local commissioners and providers on how to deliver high quality, cost-effective cancer services and how cancer expenditure should be prioritised.
	Chapter 10 of the strategy highlights factors that local commissioners should consider when making decisions about cancer expenditure, to reduce inefficiencies and allow for reinvestment of expenditure in local cancer services.

Cancer: Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 997-8W, on cancer: health services, how many finished consultant episodes there were for  (a) all cancer treatments,  (b) radiotherapy treatment for cancer and  (c) chemotherapy treatment for cancer (i) between October 2005 and September 2006 and (ii) between October 2006 and September 2007;
	(2)  how many patients were given  (a) radiotherapy and  (b) chemotherapy treatment for cancer (i) between October 2005 and September 2006 and (ii) between October 2006 and September 2007.

Ann Keen: The Department currently only collects figures on the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs), we do not have figures for the total number of cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
	The following table sets out the number of FCEs for all cancer treatments and FCEs for radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer.
	
		
			   2005-06 (OPCS 4.2 codes)  2006-07 (OPCS 4.3 and 4.2 codes) 
			 FCEs with a primary diagnosis of cancer and neoplasms 1,520,547 1,562,085 
			 FCEs with a primary diagnosis of cancer and neoplasms, a secondary diagnosis of 'radiotherapy session' and a 'radiotherapy procedure code' 1,519 6,747 
			 FCEs with a primary diagnosis of cancer and neoplasms, a secondary diagnosis of 'chemotherapy session' and a 'chemotherapy procedure code' 372,744 378,440 
			  Notes:  FCE An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. Cancer treatments i.e. radiotherapy and chemotherapy could take place in other settings, for example a patient could be classed as a 'regular attender' or these treatments may occur in out-patients.  Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Primary diagnosis codes used for cancer and neoplasms: C00-D48  Secondary Diagnoses As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care, Secondary diagnosis codes used for Radiotherapy session: Z51.0 Secondary diagnosis codes used for Chemotherapy session: Z51.1  Changes to Coding ClassificationsOPCS4 Operative procedure codes were revised for 2006-07. 2006-07 data use OPCS4.3 codes, whereas earlier data use OPCS4.2 codes. All codes that were in OPCS4.2 remain in OPCS4.3, however the OPCS4.3 codes enable the recording of interventions and procedures which were not possible in OPCS4.2. In particular OPCS 4.3 codes additionally includes high cost drugs and diagnostic imaging, testing and rehabilitation. You may also find that some activity may have been coded under different codes in OPCS4.2. These changes need to be borne in mind when analysing time series and may explain any growth over time. More information about OPCS4 changes are available on the Connecting for Health website www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk.  Main Procedure/Intervention The main procedure/intervention is the first recorded procedure or intervention in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode.  Secondary Procedure As well as the main operative procedure, there are up to 11 (three prior to 2002-03) secondary operation fields in HES that show secondary or additional procedures performed on the patient during the episode of care.  Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts, and primary care trusts in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

Cancer: Psychiatry

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he expects good psychological support services to be available throughout the cancer journey; by what means he plans to monitor progress towards this objective; and what sanctions will be imposed on NHS organisations which do not make sufficient progress.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy said that it is important for all service providers to have established pathways to enable patients to access specialist psychological support as and when they need it. Commissioners will need to ensure that adequate provision is available so that all patients, families and carers can access the appropriate psychological support for them. This will include establishing service level agreements with local mental health services for more advanced support.
	Providing support for patients experiencing distress is a key component of the role of the cancer nurse specialist. Yet delivering this effectively will require appropriate training and support. Commissioners should work collaboratively to ensure that this is available.
	Commissioners should specify to providers through robust service specifications their requirements around psychological support for cancer patients, their families and carers, which should be measurable and monitored through the quality monitoring of contracts at primary care trust level.

Cancer: Urinary System

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will provide an update on the progress made by cancer networks in implementing the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers, published in September 2002, setting out  (a) which cancer networks have agreed an action plan with the Department of Health and  (b) the expected date for full implementation in each cancer network;
	(2)  with reference to the Answer of 16 April 2007 to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge,  Official Report, column 325W, on Cancer: Urinary System, if he will place in the Library copies of the action plans submitted to his Department by strategic health authorities which demonstrate how they will implement the guidance on improving outcomes in urological cancers; which cancer networks reported at December 2006 that the guidance on Improving Outcomes in urological cancers would not be fully implemented by December 2007; what series of measures incorporated into the Manual of Cancer Services 2004 were translated from the Improving Outcomes in urological cancers guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: As at 31 June 2007 the following cancer networks had action plans agreed by the national health service cancer action team for implementing the urological cancers improving outcomes guidance:
	North London
	South East London
	South West London
	West London
	North East London
	Number and Yorkshire Coast
	Yorkshire
	North Trent
	Greater Manchester and Cheshire
	Lancashire and South Cumbria
	Merseyside and Cheshire
	Central South Coast
	Thames Valley
	Sussex
	Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire
	Three Counties
	Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire
	Dorset
	Peninsula
	Mid Trent
	Derby and Burton
	Leicestershire,
	Northamptonshire and Rutland
	Arden
	Pan Birmingham
	Greater Midlands
	North of England (formerly Cancer Care Alliance and Northern)
	Anglia (formerly Norfolk and Waveney and West Anglia)
	Essex (formerly Mid Anglia and South Essex)
	Mount Vernon
	The Department does not hold a set of these local plans as they were submitted to the NHS cancer action team for approval. Copies should be available from individual cancer networks.
	The reporting system in use in December 2006 did not provide sufficient information to identify with confidence those networks that did not expect to achieve full implementation of the urological cancers guidance by December 2007. A stock take therefore took place in Spring 2007 to strengthen the information base and subsequent data collections.
	The most recent data are based on strategic health authority (SHA) June 2007 reporting plus intelligence from the NHS cancer action team. It shows that in summer 2007:
	14 networks were already reporting implementation of this guidance;
	Nine networks were reporting that they were on schedule for implementation by 31 December 2007;
	Six networks were reporting that they were not on schedule to implement the guidance by 31 December 2007 (Humber and Yorkshire Coast, Yorkshire, Central South Coast, Mid Trent, Greater Midlands and Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire)
	One network was still to submit an approved plan (Kent)
	The cancer action team continue to work closely with cancer networks on this matter. In addition, the Department's Recovery and Support Unit is liaising with SHAs where deadlines are unlikely to be met to ensure recovery plans are in place.
	SHAs have recently submitted information confirming the position for 31 December 2007. This is currently being analysed and will provide a clearer national position including the expected implementation date for any networks that had not fully implemented this guidance by the end of 2007.
	The measures included in the Manual for Cancer Services based on the urological cancers Improving Outcomes Guidance have been placed in the Library.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to promote cervical cancer screening.

Ann Keen: Women invited to participate in the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme need to understand the potential benefits and harms in doing so and to be able to make an informed choice about whether or not they wish to take part in the Programme.
	This is why all eligible women receive a national information leaflet on cervical screening, Cervical ScreeningThe Facts. This leaflet is included with each screening invitation and contains comprehensive and understandable information about cervical screening. It can be viewed at:
	www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/publications/in-04.html
	The Cancer Reform Strategy noted concerns about the fall in the number of young women taking up their invitation to be screened. That is why the NHS Cancer Screening Programme have commissioned the Improvement Foundation to undertake work at a local level targeting this age group. The lessons learned from this work, due in 2009, will be shared with strategic health authorities and local screening programmes to develop best practice.
	The NHS Cancer Screening Programme's press office is developing an information pack to be issued to all local screening programmes and also developing a public relations strategy, including articles in appropriate media publications, posters etc. In addition, Cancer Research UK have commissioned research on this issue, which we will monitor closely and will share the findings.
	Continued local action in this area is also essential and we will continue to monitor levels of cervical screening coverage through the Office for National Statistics/Information Centre for health and social care annual cervical screening statistical bulletin.

Chemotherapy

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, what the timetable is for asking all chemotherapy service providers to return an agreed dataset on all patients receiving chemotherapy.

Ann Keen: The chemotherapy dataset is currently being defined by the National Chemotherapy Advisory Group. Work on the dataset should be completed by October 2008 and reporting is due to begin from October 2009.

Chemotherapy

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he expects primary care trusts  (a) to undertake a review of cancer chemotherapy and  (b) to develop a strategic framework for chemotherapy services.

Ann Keen: As set out in the Cancer Reform Strategy, a National Chemotherapy Advisory Group (NCAG) has been established and is considering all aspects of chemotherapy.
	Publication of the NCAG report is expected in the spring and will recommend next steps for chemotherapy services. The Department and the cancer action team will then work with cancer networks and primary care trusts to take forward NCAG's recommendations where appropriate.

Childbirth

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the  (a) prediction and  (b) prevention of premature births.

Ann Keen: We are funding research linked to premature births from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit. Some parts of this research, for example, big trials, have received additional funding from agencies such as the Medical Research Council. In general terms, keeping healthy and maintaining good nutrition during pregnancy is important for the wellbeing of both the mother and baby.

Childbirth: Social Security

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that parents whose child is premature and is in neo-natal care are made aware of all financial and other support schemes available to them; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will improve existing financial and other support schemes available to parents whose child is premature and is in neo-natal care; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Pregnancy Book (given to all first time mothers by their midwife at an early appointment after they become pregnant) and Birth to Five both give detailed information on the financial and other sources of help and advice available to parents of a newborn child. The financial help available includes the sure start maternity grant, statutory maternity pay and the maternity allowance. We understand there are no plans to increase this financial help at this time.
	This help will be supplemented from 2009 by the health in pregnancy grant (HiPG). The HiPG will be a one-off payment of 190 available to all expectant mothers ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, which can be claimed from the 25th week of pregnancy. The grant will provide flexible financial help to support the general health and well-being of women in the later stages of pregnancy, which will contribute to the health of the baby, and to help meet wider costs in the run up to birth.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to reduce his Department's carbon dioxide emissions in 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department reduced its overall carbon emissions by 15.4 per cent. between 1999-2000 and 2005-06. This exceeds the target set for departments in 2006, to reduce carbon emissions by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11. We continue our activities to reduce our emissions further.
	All the electricity purchased for our London administrative estate comes from renewable sources. We have been working with the Carbon Trust over the last 18 months to identify energy saving measures, and we have recently appointed a consultant to work with us to implement a Carbon Management Programme throughout our core estate and in our arm's length bodies.
	We continue to expand provision of video conferencing, which helps to reduce the emissions associated with business travel. Over the past 12 months we have introduced a new managed print service where existing printers, photocopiers and fax machines have been replaced by multi-function devices. This has reduced the number of print devices by three-quarters. The ratio of staff to printers has reduced from 3:1 to an average of 10:1.

Departmental Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the  (a) special advisers and  (b) ministerial appointees in possession of a security pass enabling access to his Department's main building in the month prior to the Prorogation of Parliament for the 2005 general election.

Ben Bradshaw: It is established practice not to provide details on pass access to Government buildings for security reasons.

Eyesight: Children

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of reducing the upper age limit for children's free eye examinations.

Ann Keen: Children aged under 16 and those aged 16, 17 and 18 in full-time education have been entitled to free sight tests since 1948. No changes to the age limits for children have been made in this time.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations his Department has received on the long-term health effects of adding fluoride to drinking water; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 25 February 2008
	Fluoride offers the best prospect for reducing inequalities in oral health. The benefits to oral health from the fluoridation of water have been welcomed, but we have received representations from people concerned that there may be harmful side effects. The Department monitors relevant research and also commissions its own research and the Department is pleased to say there is no evidence of any risk to people's general health from the fluoridation of water at the 1 part per million level used in fluoridation schemes in the United Kingdom.

Food Poisoning

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for food poisoning in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated number of people that were treated for indigenous food-borne disease in England and Wales in 2006 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  2006 
			   Number 
			 General practitioner presentations 282,000 
			 Hospital admissions 17,000 
			 Hospital bed days 77,000 
			  Note: Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 1,000 for all cases.  Source: Figures were estimated by the Health Protection Agency using the methodology described in Adak G K, Long S M, O'Brien S J. Gut 2002; 51: 832-41. This methodology uses available surveillance data, special survey data, and hospital episode statistics to estimate the burden of indigenous food-borne disease in England and Wales.

Food: Labelling

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department  (a) has taken in each of the last two years and  (b) plans to take in each of the next two years with food manufacturers to improve the labelling of food; what recent representations he has received about this issue; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which organisations and individuals the Food Standards Authority Agency  (a) consulted in each of the last six months and  (b) plans to consult in the next six months about improving food labelling information; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what  (a) primary and  (b) delegated legislation regulates the labelling of food; what changes have been made to each since enactment; what further amendments are planned; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Food labelling, including nutrition labelling, is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency, which reports to Parliament through Health Ministers.
	Food labelling rules are largely harmonised at European Union level and implemented in the United Kingdom by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (as amended) (the FLR). The FLRs were made under the Food Safety Act 1990 and have been amended 32 times since inception.
	The agency actively and regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders and a range of food labelling issues including the Government favoured traffic light system, as required in the development of UK policy. This includes the formal and informal consultation of over 1,100 individuals on the agency's interested parties list, consumer groups, manufacturers, retailers, enforcement and other Government Departments. The agency has carried out four formal consultations using this database over the last six months. Further consultations will take place on the European Commission's (EC) proposal during the next six months. We have also been working with the retail sector to carry out an independent evaluation of front of pack signpost labels.
	The agency has also recently consulted on and issued best practice guidance on country of origin labelling; clear labelling; use of marketing terms; allergen labelling and fish and meat labelling.

Health Services: Rossendale

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the North West Strategic Health Authority on the bid from the East Lancashire Primary Care Trust for funding for a health hub in Rossendale.

Ann Keen: The Department is aware of the plans by the East Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust for the development of a specialist health hub in Rossendale. However, no formal discussions have taken place on funding and no plans have yet been submitted to the Department for consideration.

Health: Climate Change

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Government have  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects of climate change on public health in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 25 February 2008
	At the request of the Department, an expert panel on climate change and health in the United Kingdom was formed, which included experts from a range of relevant fields, to advise and report from a wide range of available evidence, on the likely impact of climate change on health, and implications for the national health service.
	Their resulting report Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK was published in 2002.
	More recently, the Department commissioned another panel of independent scientific experts to focus on areas that had changed since the original report, based on the latest information and predictions about climate change. Their resulting update report was published jointly by the Department and the Health Protection Agency on 12 February 2008.
	Both reports are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_080702
	Copies of the first report are available in the Library and copies of the update report have been placed in the Library.

Health: Telephone Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to develop Payment by Results into the area of telephone consultations.

Ben Bradshaw: The Options for the Future of Payment by Results: 2008-09 to 2010-11 consultation document put forward proposals for developing a tariff for non-face-to-face consultations by 2010-11. We are putting in place the 'building blocks' that would enable this type of tariff to be introduced. No decision has yet been made for the date of its implementation.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which new hospitals opened in each of the last five financial years; and what proportion of beds in each were in single rooms.

Ben Bradshaw: Information for hospital build schemes with a capital value over 25 million is in the table.
	Information is not held centrally for schemes below this threshold and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 2001, the Department's guidance is that the proportion of single rooms in new hospital developments should aim to be 50 per cent., but should not fall below 20 per cent. and must be higher than the facilities they are replacing. Each trust makes an informed choice regarding the appropriate percentage of single bed provision based on practical considerations such as site restrictions and affordability as well as clinical and operational restrictions. The policy and design guidance for the provision of single rooms in mental health accommodation is 100 per cent.
	
		
			  New hospital facilities costing over 25 million opened in each of the last five financial years 
			  National health service organisation  Capital v alue ( million)  Scheme description  Proportion of beds in single rooms (percentage) 
			  2003-04
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (FT) 30 Construction of new mental health facility at Fairmile (1) 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 60 New District General Hospital 25 
			 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust 55 Redevelopment of Hexham General Hospital 75 
			 South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 122 Site redevelopment and centralisation of acute hospital services at James Cook University Hospital 40 
			 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 46 Neuro cardiac unit 20 
			 Camden and Islington NHS Trust 26 Adult Mental Health Unit 100 
			 Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) 29 The provision of a local care centre at Farnham Hospital 100 
			 
			  2004-05
			 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 40 Maternity and gynaecology unit at Royal Preston Hospital (1) 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust 25 A and E Children's development at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary 18 
			 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust 35 Mental health facilities at Woofield Road and St Charles (1) 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 57 Heart and Lung Centre 27 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 32 Total site redevelopment (1) 
			 Barnet PCT 40 Edgware Community Hospital development 37 
			 
			  2005-06
			 Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust 137 Redevelopment and rationalisation 36 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Trust 422 Rationalisation of sites 34 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 36 Dangerous and severe personalities Unit at Broadmoor 100 
			 Guys and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust 50 Evelina Children' Hospital (1) 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 25 Renal Centre 22 
			 Kirklees PCT 27 Provision of six Primary Care Centres (2) 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 26 Ambulatory Care Centre at City Hospital (2) 
			 East London NHS Foundation Trust 34 Mental Health unit in Tower Hamlets (1) 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 31 South West Cardiothoracic Unit Centre 100 
			 The Cardiothoracic Centre Liverpool NHS Trust 49 Cardiac Centre in Liverpool 43 
			 Wandsworth PCT 75 Redevelopment of Queen Mary's Roehampton. Including specialist rehabilitation and amputee services 59 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 69 Modernisation of Central Middlesex Hospital 33 
			 
			  2006-07
			 Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre NHS Trust 45 Cardiac Centre 40 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 47 Partial redevelopment of Stoke Mandeville Hospital 30 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust 32 Reprovision of Mental Health services at St. George's Hospital Morpeth 100 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 30 Burnley Hospital developmentPhase V 32 
			 Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 83 Redevelopment of Mental Health facilities, community care services and crisis homes 100 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 110 Closure of Blackburn Royal Infirmary and expansion of Queen's Park hospital 31 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 55 Reprovision of Acute Services from St. Andrew's to Newham General Hospital 39 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 379 New District General Hospital at Walsgrave 30 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 53 Cardiac Centre 50 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 28 Danetre Community Hospital in Daventry 37 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 32 Redevelopment of Acute Hospital services 55 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 72 Redevelopment of University Hospital including the separation of elective and emergency procedures 21 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 238 Rationalisation of two sites onto one adjacent to the existing Oldchurch Hospital in Romford 20 
			 Hampshire PCT 36 Redevelopment of Lymington Hospital 50 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 134 Reprovision of specialist services from the Radcliffe Infirmary to a new build on the John Radcliffe Hospital site 65 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust 37 Orthopaedics/medicine redevelopment 33 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 35 New Hadfield Wing to replace Victorian Vickers wards 50 
			 Cambridge University Hospital NHS Trust 76 Elective Care Centre, Genetics and Diabetes at Addenbrookes 38 
			 Brighton and Sussex University NHS Trust 36 Relocation of Royal Alexandra Hospital for sick Children 46 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 27 Women's enhanced medium secure services 100 
			 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 59 Essex Heart and Lung Centre (1) 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 33 Redevelopment of Kingston Hospital 23 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 265 Regional Oncology and Cancer centre at St. Jame's University Hospital 42 
			 (1) These schemes are at FTs for which the Department does not hold the requested information. Information for these organisations can be obtained by contacting the chairman of the FTs. (2) No in-patient services.

Hospital Wards: Gender

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sexual assaults have been reported on mixed sex wards since 1997.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Hospital Wards: Gender

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds are located in single sex wards.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the policy of hospital deep cleaning covers hospital supplied accommodation for nurses and junior doctors.

Ann Keen: The details of each trust's deep clean plan will vary according to local need and the configuration of local services. All trusts were required to submit and agree their deep clean plans with primary care trusts in their area and this process has been monitored and assessed by strategic health authorities.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims relating to healthcare associated infections the NHS Litigation Authority has dealt with in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Not all claims related to health care associated infection (HCAI) can be identified. The following table shows those claims where methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and/or  Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) are regarded as one of the injuries.
	Information on HCAI-related claims prior to 1999 is not available due to the coding systems in place at that time, which do not allow analysis for HCAIs.
	Claims data by notification year (notified to trust) for claims where MRSA and/or  C. Difficile are recorded as one of the injuries (as at 31 December 2007) are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
			  Notification year  Open claims  Claims closed with no damages  Claims settled with damages  Total claims 
			 1999-2000 0 1 1 2 
			 2000-01 0 3 0 3 
			 2001-02 0 2 8 10 
			 2002-03 3 15 24 42 
			 2003-04 4 34 28 66 
			 2004-05 10 47 15 72 
			 2005-06 35 50 12 97 
			 2006-07 90 26 12 128 
			 2007-08(1) 101 5 4 110 
			 Total 243 180 107 530 
			 (1) Denotes data to date for current period.  Source: NHS Litigation Authority.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of healthcare associated infections were voluntarily reported to the Healthcare Protection Agency in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) type of infection and  (b) trust.

Ann Keen: The following table gives data collected from the voluntary reporting system from 2002 to 2006 for the nine most common causes of bacteraemia (bacterial bloodstream infections) and for  Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), which is associated with diarrhoea and not the blood stream. These data are not available by trust or by financial year.
	These organisms are associated with infections that are transmitted mainly or partly within hospitals.
	
		
			  Organism  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Escherichia coli 12,709 15,052 15,741 16,961 18,079 
			 Coagulase negative staphylococci 6,604 8,609 10,091 11,708 14,943 
			  Staphylococcus aureus 12,895 14,603 14,173 14,065 13,648 
			 MRSA (Percentage) 42.5 41.2 39.7 39.6 37.9 
			 Enterococcus spp 4,421 5,611 5,887 6,477 7,109 
			 Klebsiella spp 3,515 4,169 4,639 4,853 5,198 
			  Streptococcus pneumoniae 4,163 5,135 4,526 4,971 4,553 
			 Pseudomonas spp 2,382 2,969 2,897 3,069 3,477 
			 Enterobacter spp 1,874 2,256 2,284 2,314 2,418 
			 Proteus spp 1,662 1,882 1,818 1,805 1,845 
			  C. difficile 26,357 33,201 40,414 47,022 51,145 
			  Source: Healthcare Protection Agency laboratory reports (voluntary reporting system). 
		
	
	The increase in bacteraemias is partly due to better reporting, surveillance and testing and may also reflect a changing hospital population, with more patients who are vulnerable to infection through conditions which compromise their immune systems being treated.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses have been received to the consultation on Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has received 140 responses to the consultation on Arrangements under part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliancesand related servicesto Primary Care which closed on 28 December 2007.

Leukaemia: Drugs

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the South West Surrey and Hampshire Cancer Network recommends Dasatinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Ann Keen: Dasatinib has been licensed for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) with resistance or intolerance to imatinib mesylate. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not yet published guidance on the use of Dasatinib. Until NICE guidance is published, it is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to make decisions based on the evidence that is available on whether to fund drugs locally.
	South East Coast strategic health authority has advised officials that Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire Cancer Network has not produced any formal recommendations on the use of Dasatinib. It does, however, provide advice and recommendations to PCTs on an individual patient basis when requested to do so.

Maternity Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 875W, on maternity services, which trusts provided maternity services in each of the five years before 2005-06.

Ann Keen: We do not collect this information centrally. However, data for 2004-05 are in NHS Maternity Statistics, England: 2004-05 copies of which are available in the Library. Copies of the 2002-03, 2001-02 reports are also available in the Library.

Maternity Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 784, on maternity services, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the UK is the safest country in the world in which to deliver babies.

Ann Keen: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The United Kingdom is one of the safest countries in the world in which to deliver babies. The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health's publication, Saving Mothers' Lives: Reviewing maternal deaths to make motherhood safer2003-2005 published in December 2007 (copies of which have been placed in the Library) indicated that there were just under seven maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in the UK in the three years to 2005. The UK is very near to the top in any league table, with much lower death rates than the United States or France.

Maternity Services: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 2.50 of the NHS in England's Operating Framework for 2008-09, how his Department defines 'sufficient numbers of maternity staff and neo-natal teams to meet local needs' in terms of  (a) the population of a primary care trust and  (b) the number of births at a maternity unit.

Ann Keen: It is for primary care trusts and national health service trusts to decide locally how to use their resources to provide services for the people for whom they are responsible, in line with the NHS Operating Framework. Staffing levels in maternity services vary throughout the country and are dependent on a range of factors including model of care and skill mix such as the use of maternity support workers.

Medical Records: Indian Subcontinent

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of NHS correspondence and typing of health service records of consultations that were sent to the Indian sub-continent for processing in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 February 2008
	The effective management of patient records is the responsibility of the individual NHS organisation that creates them. Information is not held centrally on the number of national health service organisations that currently outsource aspects of patient record management, including the typing of patient records, to the Indian sub-continent. It is therefore not possible to make such an estimate.

Medical Treatments

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department issues guidance to health care professionals on the involvement of patients in decisions on changing their medicinal regimes.

Dawn Primarolo: It is good practice for health professionals to involve patients in the decisions about their treatment, taking account of their values and beliefs.
	While the Department has not issued guidance itself, the establishment of Medicines Partnership promotes the concept of concordanceor shared decision makingto help patients take their medicines better and to help them get the most from their medicines. Medicines partnership has, over the years, worked both with professionals and members of the public to promote shared decision making.
	The Department also supports Ask About Medicines Week, which continues to develop initiatives to empower members of the public to ask questions of health care professionals about the medicines prescribed for them and be involved in the decisions about the medicines prescribed for them.

Medical Treatments Abroad: Transplant Surgery

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who travelled abroad for an organ transplant in the last year for which data are available.

Ann Keen: Information is only held for kidney transplants where we have a record of their being followed up in a United Kingdom hospital. In 2006, there were 31 UK residents who were transplanted with a kidney overseas and are being followed up in the UK. Two were from deceased donors, 28 from a living donor and one donor type not recorded. The majority were transplanted in Pakistan.

National Chemotherapy Advisory Group

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the membership of his Department's National Chemotherapy Advisory Group is; what areas of responsibility each member has; and if he will publish the membership on his Department's website.

Ann Keen: Membership of the National Chemotherapy Advisory Group is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Member  Area of responsibility 
			  Co-chairs  
			 Professor Mike Richards National Cancer Director Co-chair 
			 Dr. Peter Clark Medical Oncologist Co-chair 
			   
			  Members  
			 Adrian Newland President of Royal College of Medical Oncologist Pathologists 
			 Alison Jones Medical Oncologist 
			 Andrew Stanley Pharmacist 
			 Ann Fox Network Nurse Director 
			 Charles Wilson Royal College of Radiologists 
			 Colin Trask Clinical Oncologist 
			 David Smith Medical Oncologist 
			 Deborah Tomalin Network Director 
			 Don Milligan Haematologist 
			 Elizabeth Porterfield Observer for Scottish Assembly Government 
			 Jane Hanson Observer for Welsh Assembly Government 
			 Elspeth MacDonald Network Director 
			 Jane Barrett Clinical Oncologist 
			 Johnathan Joffe Medical OncologistLead 
			 Marie Palmer CSCIP Project Manager 
			 Mary Maclean Pharmacist 
			 Roger James Clinical Oncologist 
			 Tim Root Pharmacist 
			 Will Steward Oncologist 
			 Anonymous Patient Representative 
			 Anonymous Patient Representative 
			   
			  NHS Cancer Action Team/Department of Health  
			 Teresa Moss National Cancer Action Team 
			 Jane Whittome National Cancer Action Team 
			 Cheryl Cavanagh Department of Health Cancer Policy Team 
			 Justine Windsor Department of Health Cancer Policy Team 
			 Glenis Freeman Department of Health Cancer Policy Team 
		
	
	The group collectively provide advice based on their areas of personal expertise and interest. This group has not yet reported. Membership of the advisory group will be included as an annex to their report due to be submitted in spring 2008.

NHS: Drugs

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue revised guidance to health trusts on the storage and use of medicinal drugs to ensure that patients are not given the wrong drug or the wrong amount of drug; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the safe handling and use of medicines is available to national health service trusts from a variety of sources including:
	comprehensive guidance on the handling, storage and administration of medicines, The Safe And Secure Handling Of Medicines: A Team Approach, was issued by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in March 2005. This updated guidance previously issued by the Department;
	guidance on good practice in the management of controlled drugs in primary care was issued by the National Prescribing Centre in February 2007 and the Department issued revised guidance for secondary care in October 2007;
	the National Patient Safety Agency provides a range of practical resources to support NHS organisations and independent health care providers in learning from medication errors and reducing risk; and
	prescribers also have access to a wide variety of impartial, trustworthy information resources on prescribing and the use of medicines such as the British National Formulary, British National Formulary for Children, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance and information and advice.

NHS: Drugs

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of a new drug treatment within the appraisal and authorisation process conducted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) draws on a number of different sources of information to appraise the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drugs assessed through its Multiple Technology Appraisals (MTA) process. The different sources of information are set out in more detail in NICE'S Guide to the methods of technology appraisal which can be found at
	www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/pdf/TAP_Methods.pdf
	When a single drug for a single indication is being appraised through NICE'S Single Technology Appraisals (STA) process, it is the responsibility of the drug's manufacturer to provide a submission that demonstrates the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the drug concerned.
	In both the MTA and STA processes, the cost effectiveness models are independently reviewed by an academic group.

NHS: Public Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of patient and public involvement in Lord Darzi's reviews of  (a) the NHS and  (b) NHS London;
	(2)  how many requests Lord Darzi has received to meet members of the National Association of Patients' Forums; and how many times Lord Darzi has met members of the National Association of Patients' Forums in the course of his reviews of the NHS to hear their views on delivering effective patient and public involvement.

Ann Keen: The national health service Our NHS, our future next stage review is primarily a local process. Eight clinical pathway groups in each strategic health authority (SHA) region outside London are currently considering how to improve models of care across eight pathways from maternity and newborn care to end of life care. Local events are being held to ensure that the views and experiences of the public and patients inform the thinking of each clinical working group.
	A second nationwide day of consultative events was held on 24 January 2008 to test the emerging findings of the clinical pathway groups with around 1,000 staff, patients and members of the public across the regions. The findings from the consultation events will contribute to each SHA's vision for healthcare due to be published in the spring.
	An online questionnaire has also been launched to capture the views of patients and the public. This is available on the review's website at:
	www.nhs.uk/ournhs
	NHS London SHA undertook a similar process of engagement during the development of the Healthcare for London: A Framework for Action report. This included a telephone poll of 7,000 people, two deliberative events in February and March 2007 attended by over 100 people on each date and two feedback meetings in May and June 2007 attended by more than 60 people on each date.
	Following the publication of the report, NHS London has convened a Patient and Public Advisory Group to contribute to the consultation, received over 12,000 visitors to their website, commenced a programme of 40 roadshows and met with stakeholder groups including patient and public involvement forums.
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Darzi of Denham) has received three representations from the National Association of Patient Forums on engaging with the NHS Next Stage Review. Since July, Lord Darzi has visited and spoken to large numbers of stakeholders, including patient groups, and members of the public about the review. Thousands of people have already contributed their views at consultative events, via letter, email and other online channels. Representatives of patient groups also attended an International Clinical Summit in November 2007 to share ideas of leading edge care from the United Kingdom and around the world.

NHS: Social Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to monitor the level of contributions made by local authority social services departments to NHS local information networks.

Ann Keen: The level of the local authority contribution to the local involvement network (LINk) is a matter for individual councils. Government funding for local authorities' responsibilities in this area has been added into Area Based Grant.
	As part of its annual reporting to the Secretary of State, a LINk will be asked to declare the amount of funding made available to it in order that it might carry out its activities as set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

Obesity

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's estimate is of the average body mass index in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England,  (c) Suffolk,  (d) Bedfordshire,  (e) Cambridgeshire,  (f) Essex,  (g) Hertfordshire and  (h) Norfolk.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the exact format requested.
	The latest data on average body mass index (mean BMI) for England and for the East of England Government Office Region can be found in the Health Survey for England 2006, in the cardiovascular disease and risk factors adults, obesity and risk factors childrenVolume 1 Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in adults, published 31 January 2008, a copy is available in the Library. In England in 2006, the mean BMI for men aged 16 and over was 27.2 kg/m(2 )and for women it was 26.8 kg/m(2). The Mean BMI for men and women aged 16 and over in the East of England Government Office Region in 2006 was 27.2 kg/m(2) and 26.9 kg/m(2) respectively.
	Data for Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk are not available.

Obesity: Surgery

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role surgery has in the treatment of severe obesity in the NHS; and what assessment he has made of the potential to increase the use of surgery in such cases.

Dawn Primarolo: Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, the Government's strategy for promoting healthy weight, published in January 2008, reaffirmed the commitment that local health services should provide surgical interventions for obese patients where it is deemed clinically appropriate.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that surgery should only be considered in adults with severe obesity if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more or between 35 and 40 and other significant disease (for example, type two diabetes, high blood pressure), and after all appropriate non-surgical measures have failed to achieve or maintain adequate clinically beneficial weight loss, and only be considered as a last resort. Surgery can be considered as a first-line option for adults with a BMI of more than 50. NICE do not generally recommend surgery for children or young people and it should only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
	Regarding the potential to increase the use of surgery to treat obesity, it is up to local areas to decide the best types of treatments, including the level of weight loss surgery, to provide for their own populations, in line with NICE guidance.

Pregnancy: Streptococcus

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) incidence and  (b) rate per 1,000 live births of group B streptococcal infection has been in babies aged (i) 0 to six days and (ii) seven to 90 days in each strategic health authority since 1997.

Ann Keen: holding answer 25 February 2008
	We do not collect this information centrally. The incidence rate of confirmed early-onset Group B streptococcal (GBS) infection in the newborn in the UK has been estimated from recent studies to range from 0.48-0.6 per 1,000 live births. There are about 600,000 live births in England each year.
	A study of confirmed cases, published in 2003 by the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG), identified 311 cases of early onset Group B streptococcus in England a year (0.5 per 1000 live births), of which 39 died. Since then, RCOG has produced Prevention of Early Onset Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Disease in UK Obstetric Units: An audit of reported practice in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which is available from the RCOG website.

Pregnancy: Streptococcus

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on  (a) the incidence and  (b) the rate per 1,000 live births of group B Streptococcal infection in babies aged (i) 0 to 6 days and (ii) 7 to 90 days in each strategic health authority area since 1997.

Ann Keen: We do not collect this information centrally. The incidence rate of confirmed early-onset group B Streptococcal infection in the newborn in the United Kingdom has been estimated from recent studies to range from 0.48-0.6/1,000 live births. There are about 600,000 live births in England each year. A study published in 2004 of confirmed cases, identified 311 cases of early onset group B Streptococcus in England a year (0.5 per 1,000 live births) of which 39 died.

Primary Care Trusts: ICT

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated under GP Systems of Choice to each primary care trust (PCT) in England for IT infrastructure upgrades; and what proportion such funding represents of the IT budget of each such PCT.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the funding allocated for GP Systems of Choice to each primary care trust (PCT) has been placed in the Library. However, the budgetary information on information technology for each PCT that is needed to calculate the requested proportion is not held centrally.

Primary Care Trusts: Maternity Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date primary care trusts are expected to have published their annual prospectuses, including their local vision for maternity services under the Maternity Matters strategy.

Ann Keen: The national health service operating framework for 2007-08 states that primary care trusts (PCTs) should produce their first prospectus during 2007-08. The prospectuses should include PCT proposals for increasing choice and improving maternity services as outlined in 'Maternity Matters'.
	It is for strategic health authorities to ensure that PCTs complete their prospectuses and publish them.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of prostate cancer he estimates there will be in  (a) 2011,  (b) 2016 and  (c) 2021; how many cases of prostate cancer there were in 2006; and what estimate he has made of the (i) inpatient, (ii) outpatient and (iii) other costs of treating prostate cancer in (A) 2006, (B) 2011, (C) 2016 and (D) 2021.

Ann Keen: Estimates for cases of prostate cancer in individual years are not available, but estimates for the average annual registrations over a five year period are available:
	
		
			  Time period  Number of cases 
			 2009-13 29,625 
			 2014-18 33,026 
			 2019-23 36,703 
		
	
	These estimates are projected from incidence rates from 1974-2003. Projections are not given for individual years because these would be subject to wide uncertainty.
	The number of cases of prostate cancer in 2006 is not currently known, the most recently available data are for 2005, in which there were 28,886 registrations.
	 Source: Office for National Statistics.
	The estimate of inpatient costs for prostate cancer are:
	
		
			  Time period  Average annual cost  ( million) 
			 2009-13 67.4 
			 2014-18 74.9 
			 2019-23 82.7 
		
	
	All the cost estimates are in 2005-06 prices. The inpatient cost figures relate to admissions with a primary diagnosis of prostate cancer, and excludes chemotherapy and radiotherapy costs. It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of any other element of prostate cancer treatment costs because of the lack of appropriate data.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the mean waiting time for a patient with prostate cancer between  (a) their first clinic appointment and  (b) diagnosis in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on average waiting times between first outpatient attendance and diagnosis for cancer patients are not collected centrally and have not been estimated. The Department currently receives aggregate data on cancer waiting times that relate to the standards within the National Health Service Cancer Plan (2000).
	For those patients following the 62-day referral to treatment pathway the Department monitors the time taken to complete the entire pathway. Performance against this standard for the most recent period for which figures are available (July, August and September 2007-08) was 97.2 per cent.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the  (a) actual and  (b) optimum workloads of sites offering prostatectomies, expressed in terms of the number of operations per site.

Ann Keen: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers in September 2002. It stated that:
	ideally, all radical prostatectomies undertaken in each network should be carried out by a single team. Radical prostatectomy should not be carried out by teams which carry out fewer than 50 radical operations (prostatectomies and cystectomies) for prostate and bladder cancers per year.
	The guidance went on to recommend that
	surgeons who currently carry out fewer than five radical prostatectomies per year should refer patients to designated surgeons who will become more specialised in this type of surgery.
	This guidance was converted into a series of measures for inclusion in the Manual of Cancer Services 2004 against which cancer networks are peer reviewed. The Manual includes measures to assess:
	the total number of radical prostatectomies and, separately, the total number of total cystectomies, performed by the multidisciplinary teams during the year prior to the team's review; and
	the total number of radical prostatectomies and, separately, the total number of total cystectomies, performed by individual surgical members of the team.
	If teams were not compliant with the criteria set out in the improving outcomes guidance during the peer review, the peer review team would have raised this as an immediate risk with the trust chief executive or their representative on the day of the visit following up this concern in writing. A trust would be expected to address this concern as a matter of urgency.
	Individual cancer networks' performance against these measures in the 2004 to 2007 round of the national cancer peer review would be set out in their local peer review reports. These reports are available on the Cancer Quality Improvement Network System website at:
	www.cquins.nhs.uk/published_reviews.php
	A summary report of the 2004 to 2007 national cancer peer review process will be issued shortly.

Prostate Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of prostate cancer patients who are cared for by a multidisciplinary team.

Ann Keen: The recent round of cancer peer review (2004 to 2007) found that in 92 per cent. of local urology teams and 98 per cent. of specialist urology teams, all new patients with urological cancer, including prostate cancer, were reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team.

Prostate Cancer: Staff

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1407W, on prostate cancer: staff, when the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust plans to initiate its pilot to enhance multi-disciplinary team working and improve the quality of surgical techniques available to prostate cancer patients; when he expects the pilot to conclude; whether any interim findings have emerged from the development of the pilot; when he expects a final report on the pilot to be published; what funding his Department has provided in support of the pilot in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; what funding his Department plans to provide in support of the pilot in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The prostate cancer multi-disciplinary team training programme was started in February 2007 with the appointment of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to deliver the pilot programme. The trust has been recruiting the necessary staff to develop and evaluate the research elements of the programme with the first training courses due to be delivered in spring 2008. The evaluation report is to be delivered at the end of the 18 month training programme. The pilot is funded by London strategic health authority on behalf of the national cancer action team with 190,000.00 being made available in 2006-07. Future funding levels will be agreed with the trust based on planned deliverable training activity.

Prostate Cancer: Staff

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1407W, on prostate cancer: staff, in what ways  (a) his Department and  (b) the Healthcare Commission monitors progress against the action plans submitted by strategic health authorities to implement the improving outcomes in urological cancers guidance; what progress has been made to date; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) submit six monthly reports to the Department to confirm whether their cancer networks have met any improving outcomes guidance (IOGs) milestones that had been due in the preceding six month period and also to confirm if future milestones are on schedule to be met.
	The national health service cancer action team works closely with the cancer networks and the Department's Recovery and Support Unit liaises with SHAs where deadlines are unlikely to be met to ensure recovery plans are in place.
	The Healthcare Commission expects primary care trusts (PCTs) to support the development of agreed action plans within cancer networks as well as to ensure services are commissioned in line with agreed action plans to achieve full implementation of these IOGs. The Department shares information on progress with the Healthcare Commission. The Commission use this information to inform the ratings they give to individual PCTs.

Radiotherapy: Waiting Lists

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the publication of the Cancer Reform Strategy, when he estimates that NHS providers will have sufficient capacity to meet the 31 day waiting time standard for all radiotherapy; and what the timetable is for ensuring that the recommendations set out in the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group's report are achieved.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy set a deadline for extension of the 31-day waiting time standard of December 2008 for chemotherapy and surgery. The deadline for extension of the 31-day standard for radiotherapy is December 2010. The later date for radiotherapy is in recognition of the length of time needed to increase radiotherapy capacity, for example building bunkers and purchasing and installing machinery.
	The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group recommended that radiotherapy services should be developed to deliver up to 54,000 fractions per million population throughout the country by 2016, with an interim aim of delivering 40,000 fractions per million population by 2010. In addition, all departments were, as an immediate aim, to deliver at least 8,000 fractions per linac (linear accelerator) per year; increasing to at least 8,300 fractions per linac per year by 2010-11, and at least 8,700 fractions per linac per year by 2016.
	Mechanisms for reviewing progress are under discussion. A national radiotherapy dataset is being developed and will be used from April 2009 to help monitor progress in radiotherapy centres around the country.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recorded cases of drug resistant gonorrhoea have been confirmed in each of the last five years; what steps he has taken to tackle drug resistant gonorrhoea; whether he has received representations on  (a) penicillin,  (b) tetracycline and  (c) fluoroquinolone resistant gonorrhoea; how many representations he has received on antibiotic resistance relating to the treatment of gonorrhoea; and if he will place in the Library copies of such representations.

Dawn Primarolo: The Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GRASP) funded by the Department and run by the Health Protection Agency, monitors gonococcal antimicrobial resistance at a number of sentinel sites in England and Wales. The percentages of gonorrhoea isolates from genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic patients submitted to GRASP in England and Wales between 2002 and 2006 which had confirmed resistance to penicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone) are contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of isolates resistant to specific antimicrobials, 2002-06 
			  Percentage 
			  Antimicrobial  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Penicillin (MIC = l mg/l) 9.8 9.7 11.4 17.9 9.5 
			 Tetracycline (MIC = 2 mg/l) 44.8 38.2 44.4 48 36.9 
			 Ciprofloxacin (MIC = l mg/l) 9.8 9.1 14.0 21.7 26.5 
			  Notes: 1. MIC means minimum inhibitory concentration and is defined as the lowest concentration of an antimicrobial that will inhibit the visible growth of a micro-organism after overnight incubation. The MICs shown for the specific antimicrobials define the cut-off for resistance to these antimicrobials. 2. Due to variations in the retrieval and confirmation of isolates submitted in different years, the data on resistance prevalence are statistically weighted. This is done to avoid resistance estimates being under representative of sites that have a low retrieval rate and over representative of sites that have a high retrieval rate.  Source: GRASP from specimens collected at genito-urinary medicine clinics. 
		
	
	Data from GRASP provide the evidence-base for treatment guidelines in the management of gonorrhoea. In 2002, this led to prescribing policy being updated to recommend that gonorrhoea should be treated with third generation cephalosporins, ceftriaxone or cefixime. Further information is contained in the GRASP annual report (year 2006 collection) which has been placed in the Library. No specific representations have been received by the Department on this issue.

Skin Cancer

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the age is of  (a) the youngest and  (b) the oldest skin cancer patient who have been diagnosed where use of sunbed salons has been a contributing factor in their condition.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 26 February 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the age is of  (a) the youngest and  (b) the oldest skin cancer patient who have been diagnosed where use of sunbed salons has been a contributing factor in their condition. I am replying in her absence.
	The use of sunbed salons as a contributing factor in skin cancer is not recorded. The most recent available figures for newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma of skin registered in England are for the year 2005. The  (a) youngest and  (b) oldest patients were aged one and 103 respectively when newly diagnosed with malignant melanoma of skin in 2005. Figures by age group are available in a first release on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Productasp?vInk=7720
	Earlier figures are published in the Annual Reference Volume, Cancer statistics: Registrations (Series MB1) available on the National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/Statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8843Pos=1ColRank=2Rank=272

Testicular Cancer: Screening

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to promote screening for testicular cancer.

Ann Keen: There is no effective screening method for testicular cancer, therefore no action has been taken to promote screening for testicular cancer.
	Testicular cancer is almost always curable if found early and the Department has collaborated with Cancer Research UK in the production of a testicular self-awareness leaflet, Testicular Cancer: Spot The Symptoms Early. Over 300,000 copies of this leaflet are printed each year.

TREASURY

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people died in each region from an alcohol-related illness in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died in each region from an alcohol-related illness in each year since 1997. (186173)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in each government office region in England, from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , government office regions in England( 2) ,1997 to 2006( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 North East 323 331 307 326 337 337 387 426 402 435 
			 North West 860 878 922 931 1,040 1,054 1,105 1,166 1,173 1,209 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 405 431 446 419 489 475 573 615 643 679 
			 East Midlands 322 307 394 410 408 434 482 482 506 505 
			 West Midlands 497 583 578 588 655 697 737 743 776 801 
			 East of England 319 404 390 426 441 456 484 485 492 556 
			 London 732 773 806 794 787 832 826 758 744 824 
			 South East 607 646 664 700 824 808 870 832 874 921 
			 South West 372 409 428 450 495 489 517 529 581 587 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following boxes. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) All figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1: alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-9 code(s) 
			 Alcoholic psychoses 291 
			 Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 
			 Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305.0 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 425.5 
			 Alcoholic fatty liver 571.0 
			 Acute alcoholic hepatitis 571.1 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 571.2 
			 Alcoholic liver damage, unspecified 571.3 
			 Chronic hepatitis 571.4 
			 Cirrhosis of liver without mention of alcohol 571.5 
			 Other chronic nonalcoholic liver disease 571.8 
			 Unspecified chronic liver disease without mention of alcohol 571.9 
			 Accidental poisoning by alcohol E860 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 2: alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Breast Cancer: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many diagnoses of breast cancer there were in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 26 February 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many diagnoses of breast cancer there were in Lancashire in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence.
	The most recent available figures for newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer registered in England are for the year 2005. Figures for female patients diagnosed with breast cancer in Lancashire county for the years 2001 to 2005 are in the table below.
	
		
			  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer( 1) , females, Lancashire county, 2001-05 
			   Number 
			 2001 842 
			 2002 812 
			 2003 829 
			 2004 902 
			 2005 893 
			 (1) Breast cancer is coded to C50 in the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  Source: Office for National Statistics

Carbon Markets Expert Group

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the first summit of the Carbon Markets Expert Group was held; which organisations were represented; what matters were discussed; and what decisions were taken.

Angela Eagle: The first meeting of the Carbon Markets Experts Group was held on 19 February 2008 and was attended by representatives from:
	Barclays Capital;
	Cameo Global;
	Cantor Co2e;
	CEAG Ltd;
	Citigroup;
	City of London Corporation;
	Climate Change Capital;
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;
	Ecosecurities;
	European Climate Exchange;
	Financial Services Authority;
	HM Treasury;
	JP Morgan plc;
	KPMG;
	Lehman Brothers;
	Merrill Lynch;
	Morgan Stanley;
	Natsource Europe Ltd;
	TFS;
	UBS.
	The meeting covered London's role in the global carbon market, the EU 2020 energy and climate change package and the progress of Phase II of the EU ETS. There was a detailed discussion on the opportunities and areas for further growth within the UK and market views on developing UK and European policy. Attendees generally supported the broad thrust of the EU's recent proposals, and welcomed the greater certainty they provide for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme post 2012. There was also discussion of the limits that the EU package proposes on the use of project credits. The group was encouraged to respond to the current Government consultation on UK plans for auctioning Phase II EU allowances.
	The next meeting will be held in the summer.

Census: Data Protection

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that all census data collected by private contractors will remain confidential.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 February 2008:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking if the Office for National Statistics will ensure that all census data collected by private contractors will remain confidential. (188175)
	The data collected in the Census is owned by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Crown. ONS has a well-established reputation of maintaining Census confidentiality which it intends to uphold. Safeguarding data confidentiality and security has carried the highest priority in defining all the legal and contractual arrangements for the 2011 Census.
	Confidentiality is an overriding concern, and ONS has a stringent security policy which includes specific measures to safeguard the confidentiality of personal data provided by respondents to Census Tests and to a Census. These measures cover the physical, IT, communications and internet security requirements, and comply with all relevant Government policies and standards. As for previous censuses independent security reviews will be carried out at key stages of the Census operation.
	All staff working with, or having access to, Census data, including any contracted service provider, will sign a confidentiality declaration to confirm their understanding and commitment to their legal confidentiality undertakings.
	Currently, legal protection is afforded by the Census Act 1920 as amended by the Census (Confidentiality) Act 1991 which makes it a criminal offence for any person to disclose personal information from the Census without lawful authority. Census information is also generally protected in UK law by the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
	From April 2008 when the power to conduct a Census and other statistical functions of my post as Registrar General for England and Wales are transferred to the newly formed Statistics Board, data confidentiality will be protected by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) which will replace the confidentiality provisions of the Census Act.
	Any breach of the SRSA confidentiality provisions would be a criminal offence, subject to possible imprisonment and fines.

Debts

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made by  (a) the Bank of England,  (b) his Department and  (c) the Financial Service Authority of the effects of the problems in the US monoline debt default insurance sector on UK financial and economic stability.

Angela Eagle: The Bank of England and the FSA monitor developments related to the monoline insurance industry and assess the impact for financial and economic stability, in line with their responsibilities. The Bank of England and the FSA share assessments of risks to financial and economic stability with the Treasury. Such assessments may also, where relevant, be published in the Bank of England's Financial Stability Report and the FSA's Financial Risk Outlook.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) staff and  (b) full-time equivalent staff under 18 years of age are employed by his Department.

Angela Eagle: Presently HM Treasury has no employees under the age of 18.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English.

Angela Eagle: The documents that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Department, associated agencies and non-department public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English are provided in the following list.
	 Treasury
	The Treasury translated the Budget and pre-Budget report leaflet into Welsh.
	The Euro preparations leaflet was translated in Welsh.
	The translation of other documents is done on an ad hoc basis as requests are received.
	 HMRC
	Documents available in languages other than English (or Welsh) include:
	Factsheet on Child Trust Fund accounts (in seven languages in addition to English and Welsh);
	Helpsheet on working and paying tax in the UK (in 13 languages plus English);
	Helpsheet on the Construction Industry Scheme (in 13 languages plus English);
	Miscellaneous airport and port notices;
	Correspondence relating to the seizure of cash;
	Questionnaires for lorry drivers entering the UK;
	Letters to traders relating to VAT requirements;
	Notices to detained persons;
	Forms P46, P85, P85(S), P86, P91, CWF1;
	Race Equality Scheme Monitoring Form;
	Customs seizure letters;
	Information about requirements for making a tax credit/child benefit appointment;
	Tax credit overpayment note to arrange a discussion in a minority language and
	Double taxation forms.
	 NS  I
	All of its literature (brochures and after sales communications) including the NSI Website area translated into Welsh. NSI does not provide translation into any other language.
	 ONS
	The information is not held centrally and an answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 VOA
	The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publishes documents in Welsh for taxpayers and ratepayers in Wales. It makes use of Language Line to provide interpreter and translation services where needed in relation to other languages.
	 DMO
	Nil response.
	 GAD
	Nil response.
	 OGC
	Nil response.
	 OGC Buying Solutions
	Nil response.
	 Royal Mint
	Nil response.

Employment

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate was for  (a) lone parents,  (b) disabled people and  (c) people aged over-50 in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 26 February 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the employment rate for (a) lone parents, (b) the disabled and (c) the over-50s in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (189320)
	The attached table gives the employment rates for the categories requested for the three month period ending June each year 1997 to 2007. Comparable estimates are not available for 1997 for disabled workers and 1998 and 2000 for all categories.
	A historical series of lone parent employment rates is published in the 'Work and worklessness among households' First Release, which is available on the National Statistics website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8552.
	The LFS estimates at this detailed level are consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003, whereas those in the Labour Market Statistics First Release are based on more up-to-date population figures.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Employment rate( 1)  of lone parents, disabled workers and people aged 50 and over, three months ending June each year, 1997-2007United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Lone parents( 2,3)  Disabled workers( 2,4)  People aged 50 and over 
			 1997 44.6 (5) 32.9 
			 1999 47.9 46.2 34.3 
			 2001 51.4 46.6 35.3 
			 2002 53.2 47.9 35.8 
			 2003 52.9 48.8 37.0 
			 2004 54.2 49.7 37.2 
			 2005 56.0 49.7 37.6 
			 2006 56.3 50.0 38.2 
			 2007 57.1 49.7 38.4 
			 (1) Expressed as the total number of people in employment in each category as a percentage of the total number of people in each category. The base for the lone parent percentages excludes people with unknown employment status. (2) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59. (3) Working age people with dependant children under 16 and those children aged 16 to 18 who are never-married and in full-time education. (4) Includes those who have a long term disability which substantially limits their day-to-day activities and those who have a long term disability which affects the kind or amount of work they might do. (5) Comparable estimates for 1997 are not available for disabled people.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will freeze duty on beer; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of duty on beer on the viability of the brewing industry;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution made to the economy by the brewing and public house industry.

Angela Eagle: Decisions on the taxation of beer are made by the Chancellor at Budget taking all relevant factors into consideration, including the state of the industry and its contribution to the economy.

Foreign Workers

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many foreign workers in the United Kingdom were aged  (a) 16 to 21,  (b) 22 to 30,  (c) 31 to 40,  (d) 41 to 50,  (e) 51 to 60 and  (f) over 61 years in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell dated 26 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many foreign workers in the UK were aged  (a) 16 to 21,  (b) 22 to 30,  (c) 31 to 40,  (d) 41 to 50,  (e) 51 to 60 and  (f) over 61 years in the most recent period for which figures are available. (188462)
	The attached table gives the number of people in the categories requested for the three month period ending December 2007.
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	The LFS estimates at this detailed level are consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003, whereas data in the Labour Market First Release is based on more up to date figures.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Foreign born population in employment by age group,  t hree months ending December 2007, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Thousand 
			 Total 3,496 
			 16-21 142 
			 22-30 897 
			 31-40 1,016 
			 41-50 812 
			 51-60 490 
			 61 and over 139 
			  Note: It should be noted that the estimates: exclude certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than six months. exclude students in halls of residence who do not have a UK resident parent. exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. Hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc). are grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying 12 months or more. are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003 which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates as used in the Labour Market Statistics.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Foreign Workers

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of foreign workers worked in each English region in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 26 February 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the percentage of foreign workers who worked in each English region in the latest period for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (188463)
	The attached table gives the number of people in the categories requested for the three month period ending December 2007.
	The data for analysing migrant workers comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The National Statistics method for estimating the number of migrant workers employed in the UK is based on the number of people at a given time who were born abroad, are of working age (16-64 for men, 16-59 for women) and in employment. This question has been answered on this basis.
	The LFS estimates at this detailed level are consistent with the UK population estimates published in February and March 2003, whereas those in the Labour Market Statistics First Release are based on more up-to-date population figures.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Working age( 1)  foreign born population in employment by English government office regions: Three months ending December 2007, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Thousands  Percentage( 2) 
			 England 3,124 100 
			 North East 46 2 
			 North West 225 7 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 174 6 
			 East Midlands 182 6 
			 West Midlands 221 7 
			 Eastern 310 10 
			 London 1,287 41 
			 South East 475 15 
			 South West 203 7 
			 (1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59. (2) Number of foreign born of working age in employment in each region as a percentage of foreign born of working age in employment in the whole of England.  Note: It should be noted that the estimates: exclude certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than six months; exclude students in halls of residence who do not have a UK resident parent; exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.); are grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying 12 months or more; are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003; which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates as used in the Labour Market Statistics.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Hospitals: Death

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths in hospitals were recorded on each day of  (a) August 2007 and  (b) August 2006.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 26 February 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths in hospitals were recorded on each day of (a) August 2007 and (b) August 2006.1 am replying in her absence. (189135)
	Data for deaths which occurred in 2006 and 2007 are not yet available, and we are therefore currently unable to provide daily counts of deaths for those years.

Job Creation

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs were created in the UK in the last 12 months, broken down by sector.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many jobs were created in the UK in the last 12 months, broken down by sector. (188557)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in jobs from year to year.
	The Workforce Jobs estimates combine Employee Jobs figures with self employment jobs from the Labour Force Survey, as well as HM Forces jobs figures and the number of Government sponsored trainees.
	Attached is a table showing Workforce Jobs by industry for the UK for the latest available period, September 2007, and for September 2006.
	Workforce Job statistics are published as part of the Labour Market Statistics First Release and can be obtained on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=8286
	
		
			  Workforce jobs by industry: United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousands 
			   All jobs  Agriculture and fishing  Energy and water  Manufacturing  Construction  Distribution, hotels and restaurants 
			 SIC 92 sections A-0 A-B C, E D F G,H 
			 September 2007 31,599 449 181 3,205 2,229 7,069 
			 September 2006 31,312 445 174 3,241 2,189 6,994 
			 Change September 2006 to September 2007 287 4 7 -36 40 75 
		
	
	
		
			   Transport and comms.  Finance and business services  Public Admin., education and health  Other services  Total services 
			 SIC 92 sections I J-K L,N O G-O 
			 September 2007 1,832 6,650 7,980 2,004 25,535 
			 September 2006 1,850 6,449 7,958 2,012 25,263 
			 Change September 2006 to September 2007 -18 201 22 -8 272 
			  Notes: 1. Workforce jobs figures are a measure of jobs rather than people. For example, if a person holds two jobs, each job will be counted in the workforce jobs total.  2. Workforce jobs figures come from a variety of sources, and where possible, from the employer rather than the individual. Employee jobs (which is much the largest component of workforce jobs) come from quarterly surveys of employers carried out by ONS.  3. Other data sources are as follows:  Self-employment jobs are provided by the Labour Force Survey  HM Forces figures are provided by the Ministry of Defence (MOD)  Government-supported trainees are provided from Administrative Sources.

Low Incomes

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average earnings were of those on low incomes in employment in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by decile.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average earnings were of those on low incomes in employment in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by decile. (188559)
	Levels of earnings for Standard Occupation Classification, including medians, deciles and quartiles, are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	ASHE results for 2007 can be obtained on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ashe

Low Incomes

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average earnings of those in employment in each of the two poorest deciles were in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what average earnings of those in employment in each of the two poorest deciles were in for each of the last five years. (188560)
	Levels of earnings, including deciles, are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. ASHE results can be obtained on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ashe

Mortgages: Fraud

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has collected evidence of fraudulent mortgage lending as a result of identity theft.

Jane Kennedy: The Treasury does not collect evidence of this kind.

Northern Rock Foundation

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that the guaranteed funds for the Northern Rock Foundation will go to funding arts and heritage projects.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 25 February 2008
	As part of the Government's decision to take Northern Rock plc into temporary public ownership, on 17 February the Treasury announced that the Northern Rock Foundation will receive from Northern Rock a minimum of 15 million a year in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The distribution of funds is a matter for the trustees of the Northern Rock Foundation.

Northern Rock: Freedom of Information

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Freedom of Information requests the Treasury has received in respect of Northern Rock.

Angela Eagle: 31.

Tax Office: Dorchester

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of the Dorchester tax office.

Jane Kennedy: No decisions have yet been taken on the future of the Dorchester Tax office. HMRC will announce plans to consult on all offices that have not yet been consulted on shortly after the Budget.

Taxation: Pensioners

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners in Luton paid tax in  (a) 1996 and  (b) the last financial year.

Jane Kennedy: The number of taxpayers with pension income in Luton can be found in Table 3.14 'Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority' or Table 3.15 'Income and tax by parliamentary constituency' at the HM Revenue and Customs website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#314. The information is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes of which 2004-05 is the latest available.
	Similar information is not available for 1996-97 as sample sizes were too small to base reliable estimates on.

Voluntary Work

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what programmes his Department has in place to encourage volunteering among its employees.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury actively promotes employee volunteering, including by: providing special leave entitlements to enable staff to take a limited amount of time off each year to volunteer; holding regular events with voluntary sector organisations to raise awareness of volunteering opportunities; providing information on volunteering via an internal website; supporting a staff-led Volunteers Group.

JUSTICE

Absent Voting

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of votes were postal in  (a) the 2005 general election,  (b) the 2005 local elections and  (c) the 2006 local elections; and how many postal vote applications were disallowed per local authority in each case.

Bridget Prentice: Research conducted by the Electoral Commission on turnout at the 2005 general and local elections concluded that 12.1 per cent. of the electorate opted to have a postal vote at those elections, and that postal votes accounted for 15 per cent. of all votes cast. The information for the 2006 local elections is not held centrally by Government.
	The Government do not hold figures for how many postal vote applications were disallowed per local authority, though this may be held by local authorities.

Absent Voting

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps are being taken to  (a) raise the awareness of postal voting availability and  (b) reduce levels of disallowed postal votes.

Bridget Prentice: The Government have prescribed that the annual canvass form that is sent to every household each autumn contains a provision allowing an elector to request a postal vote application form. The Government have expanded the information that is included on the poll card that is sent to electors at an election, and it now includes information about how to apply for a postal vote and the deadline for making a postal vote application at the forthcoming election.
	The Electoral Administration Act 2006 brought forward measures to increase the security of postal voting. While this increased the amount of data needed when electors completed their forms, this was balanced by the removal of the requirement for a witness signature. The available information suggests that the levels of disallowed postal votes remain low. We will wish to keep the matter under review and to explore the issues involved with the Electoral Commission and Association of Electoral Administrators.

Crime: Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what prosecutions there have been involving the posting or accessing of illegal content online in which legal proceedings are complete in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for various offences relating to the publication, possession or distribution of obscene matter, and indecent photographs (including of children), in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for various offences relating to the publication, possession or distribution of obscene matter, and indecent photographs (including of children), in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006( 1,2) 
			  Proceeded against 
			  Statute  Offence description  2004  2005  2006 
			 Obscene Publications Act 1959 Sec 2(1) as amended by Obscene Publications Act 1964 Sec 1(1) Prohibition of publication of obscene matter 30 35 29 
			 Protection of Children Act 1978 Section 1 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 84 and Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 S.41(l) Take, permit to be taken, or to make distribute or publish indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children 1,097 1,101 937 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec. 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 Possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph 159 160 162 
			 Total  1,286 1,296 1,128 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court proceedings database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice 
		
	
	There is no specific offence of the posting or accessing of illegal content online as the UK prosecutes the offence, such as the creation or publication of illegal imagery, rather than the medium used. All published material is subject to the Obscene Publications Act 1959. Under the Protection of Children Act 1978 (as amended), the UK has an absolute prohibition on the production, circulation and possession with a view to distribution of any indecent photograph of a child under 18.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

Departmental Sick Pay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: It is estimated that the cost of sick pay within the public sector Prison Service during 2007 was 68 million. Estimated costs for other parts of the Department are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Cabinet Office published a report on sickness absence in the civil service on 7 February 2008. The report included an analysis of the days lost due to sickness absence. The report included an estimate of 887.66 for 2006-07 as the cost of absence per staff year in respect of all civil servants.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average hourly rate his Department and its predecessors paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007 therefore my response refers to the former Department for Constitutional Affairs. The following table provides figures from 2001 to the end of the last full financial year. Information for the preceding financial years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	My Department and its predecessor has a national framework contract with Kelly Services that began in April 2001 for the supply of agency staff.
	Information relating to workers employed through other employment agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on average hourly rates paid to agency staff employed through Kelly Services appears as follows.
	
		
			   Average hourly rate () 
			 2001 10.41 
			 2002 10.43 
			 2003 10.53 
			 2004 10.86 
			 2005 10.57 
			 2006 9.89

Domestic Violence: Rehabilitation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) longest,  (b) average and  (c) shortest waiting period for domestic violence perpetrators programmes was for each probation area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is contained in the following table. It covers the period from April 2006 to March 2007.
	Offenders waiting for a place on a domestic violence programme are under the supervision of their offender manager from the day of sentence. The offender manager will monitor the risk posed by the offender and actively manage it. Additionally the offender manager will normally prepare offenders for the programmes by carrying out set work. This can take between six and 12 weeks.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The data take no account of time that elapses because of the need to deliver other requirements of the sentence, or because the offender is recalled into custody, for example.
	The domestic violence programmes are still relatively new and demand from the courts has exceeded expectations. A series of measures are in place to reduce the period of time before an offender can start a programme.
	
		
			  Domestic violence programmes: time to commencements 
			  Weeks 
			  Area  Mean time to commence group  Minimum time to commence group  Maximum time to commence group 
			  England
			 Avon and Somerset 39.0 9 101 
			 Bedfordshire 20.8 4 146 
			 Cambridgeshire 36.5 7 95 
			 Cumbria 24.8 4 52 
			 Derbyshire 30.6 6 68 
			 Devon and Cornwall 41.4 7 200 
			 Dorset 31.1 4 79 
			 County Durham 25.1 1 57 
			 Essex 39.5 10 77 
			 Gloucestershire 32.3 7 91 
			 Hampshire 25.0 2 79 
			 Hertfordshire 30.0 2 57 
			 Humberside 23.0 2 47 
			 Kent 29.2 11 67 
			 Lancashire 27.9 4 208 
			 Leicestershire and Rutland 39.4 1 130 
			 Lincolnshire 24.5 7 72 
			 London 31.8 4 173 
			 Merseyside 25.7 2 86 
			 Norfolk 19.4 4 89 
			 Northamptonshire 29.3 7 85 
			 Northumbria 32.2 7 72 
			 Nottinghamshire 12.9 4 49 
			 Staffordshire 13.7 3 52 
			 Suffolk 20.2 5 80 
			 Surrey 28.1 12 59 
			 Sussex 27.4 1 74 
			 Teesside 25.2 9 43 
			 Thames Valley 36.5 8 126 
			 Warwickshire 19.9 5 60 
			 West Mercia 13.0 4 33 
			 West Midlands 28.6 5 78 
			 Wiltshire 34.9 2 103 
			 Yorkshire North 16.1 1 53 
			 Yorkshire South 42.5 1 77 
			 Yorkshire West 28.4 1 161 
			 
			  Wales
			 Dyfed-Powys 19.2 6 61 
			 Gwent 40.8 12 101 
			 North Wales 37.1 9 76 
			 South Wales 23.2 4 63 
			  Note:  Comparable data from Cheshire and Greater Manchester areas are not available due to incompatible IT systems.

Information Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how he proposes to ensure that all providers of supervisory services for which his Department has responsibility have the same level of access to information and support systems.

David Hanson: The Data Share project, in the new NOMIS Programme, will allow public prisons and probation areas access to a simple read-only database containing important case information held by the separate case management systems, to further support the management of offenders.
	Information on violent and sexual offenders, managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) will be shared across supervisory services (including the police) through a single, secure system; ViSOR. Once the deployment of the system is complete in spring 2008, ViSOR will become the first IT system to be jointly shared across probation, prison and police services.

Land Registry: Pay

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) salaries and  (b) bonuses paid to each of the directors of HM Land Registry were in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Michael Wills: The table, taken from Land Registry's Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, covers all taxable pay in 2006, including any performance or corporate bonus, if awarded. In accordance with the Financial Reporting Manual issued by HM Treasury, Land Registry is required to seek permission from each director before disclosing his/her salary, including any allowances, in bands of 5,000. Such permission is required in order to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.
	The directors' salary details for 2007-08 will be available in similar bandings when this year's annual report and accounts has been audited. Copies will be laid before Parliament before the summer recess.
	
		
			   2006-07 
			 Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive 150,000 to 155,000 
			 Deputy Chief Executive and Business Development Director 125,000 to 130,000 
			 Director of Operations 120,000 to 125,000 
			 Director of Legal Services 120,000 to 125,000 
			 Director of Human Resources 95,000 to 100,000 
			 Finance Director 90,000 to 95,000 
			 Director of Information Systems 90,000 to 95,000

Magistrates Courts: Sentencing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of sentences from magistrates courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of offenders convicted in magistrates courts were given custodial sentences of  (a) three months or less,  (b) three to six months and  (c) six to 12 months in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following tables show the number of custodial sentences handed down at the magistrates court, split by age and gender, and there associated proportions to the totals.
	This information can also be found in table 2.1 of Sentencing Statistics 2006, available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to immediate custody at magistrates courts by length of sentence and average custodial sentence length, 1996-2006 ,  England and Wales 
			  Number of persons and percentages 
			  Custody rate and sentence length  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			  All offences   
			 Total persons sentenced 1,351,789 1,293,961 1,376,514 1,320,751 1,339,986 1,266,634 
			
			 Number given immediate custody 41,166 46,517 52,615 57,974 59,975 61,868 
			 Percentage given immediate custody 3.0 3.6 3.8 4.4 4.5 4.9 
			
			 Up to and including 3 months 26,649 30,875 35,078 38,529 37,300 37,396 
			 Proportion (percentage) 65 66 67 66 62 60 
			
			 Over 3 months and less than 6 months 11,026 12,326 13,854 15,387 17,212 18,440 
			 Proportion (percentage) 27 26 26 27 29 30 
			
			 6 months 3,491 3,316 3,640 3,974 4,549 4,696 
			 Proportion (percentage) 8 7 7 7 8 8 
			
			 Over 6 months(1) * * 43 84 914 1,336 
			 Proportion (percentage) * * 0 0 2 2 
			
			 Average custodial sentence length (months) 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of persons and percentages 
			  Custody rate and sentence length  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  All offences  
			 Total persons sentenced 1,334,439 1,403,921 1,460,707 1,397,675 1,336,501 
			   
			 Number given immediate custody 64,913 63,396 61,384 57,250 53,431 
			 Percentage given immediate custody 4.9 4.5 4.2 4.1 4.0 
			   
			 Up to and including 3 months 39,476 37,856 36,798 34,377 32,254 
			 Proportion (percentage) 61 60 60 60 60 
			   
			 Over 3 months and less than 6 months 19,370 19,835 19,161 18,365 16,839 
			 Proportion (percentage) 30 31 31 32 32 
			   
			 6 months 4,553 4,413 4,173 3,336 3,018 
			 Proportion (percentage) 7 7 7 6 6 
			   
			 Over 6 months(1) 1,514 1,292 1,252 1,172 1,320 
			 Proportion (percentage) 2 2 2 2 2 
			   
			 Average custodial sentence length (months) 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 
			 (1) Over 6 months sentences relate to secure training orders given to juveniles (introduced in 1998) and replaced by detention and training orders in April 2000.

Magistrates Courts: Sentencing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of prison sentences handed down by  (a) magistrates courts and  (b) Crown courts has been in each year since 1993, broken down by type of crime.

David Hanson: The following table shows the available information which can also be found in Tables 1.3 and 1.4 of Sentencing Statistics 2006, available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	
		
			  Average custodial sentence lengths (months)( 1 ) for immediate custody, broken down by court and type of crime( 2) , 1996 to 2006 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Magistrates( 1)  courts
			 Violence against the person 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.6 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.9 4.0 
			 Sexual offences 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.5 4.4 4.3 4.2 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.3 
			 Burglary 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.6 4.3 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 
			 Robbery 3.8 3.7 4.0 3.9 6.6 8.0 9.7 9.1 9.4 8.4 8.7 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 
			 Fraud and forgery 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.3 2.9 2.8 
			 Criminal damage 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.6 
			 Drug offences 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.6 
			 Other (excl. motoring offences) 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2 1.8 1.8 1.9 
			 Motoring offences 3.9 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.5 4.8 4.9 5.2 5.0 4.8 5.0 
			 All indictable 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.9 
			 Summary non-motoring offences 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 
			 Summary motoring offences 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.4 
			 All summary offences 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 
			 All offences 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 
			 
			  Crown courts
			 Violence against the person 23.8 22.8 22.1 21.7 21.6 22.6 23.9 25.6 25.6 24.5 23.2 
			 Sexual offences 38.6 39.9 40.9 39.7 41.1 40.7 43.4 43.8 43.4 44.4 44.1 
			 Burglary 19.1 20.7 20.2 20.5 20.8 22.3 23.5 24.0 24.6 24.7 24.4 
			 Robbery 40.2 40.9 37.3 37.3 38.3 38.4 41.3 41.7 41.1 38.0 35.7 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 11.5 12.4 11.7 10.7 10.4 11.1 11.5 12.1 12.3 12.8 12.7 
			 Fraud and forgery 15.2 14.7 15.1 13.6 14.4 14.7 14.8 15.6 15.4 13.7 13.4 
			 Criminal damage 28.6 31.7 25.3 25.6 24.6 26.4 28.2 28.8 28.3 27.2 25.3 
			 Drug offences 30.7 31.7 30.9 33.4 34.5 37.2 39.5 40.0 41.3 40.4 38.8 
			 Other (excl. motoring offences) 12.5 12.4 11.8 12.0 11.9 13.3 14.7 14.7 14.3 15.5 15.7 
			 Motoring offences 9.3 9.5 9.9 9.8 9.7 10.1 10.2 10.4 10.6 10.3 10.7 
			 All indictable 22.4 22.8 22.2 22.5 22.8 24.5 26.3 26.8 27.0 25.9 25.2 
			 Summary non-motoring offences 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.9 
			 Summary motoring offences 3.9 4.0 3.9 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.7 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.7 
			 All summary offences 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.9 
			 All offences 22.1 22.5 21.8 22.1 22.4 24.2 25.9 26.3 26.5 25.5 24.7 
			 (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (2) Principle offence basis.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source:  RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will give the dates of any meetings he had with  (a) the Labour Party Registered Treasurer or Representative Officer,  (b) the Conservative Party Registered Treasurer or Representative Officer or  (c) the Liberal Party Registered Treasurer or Representative Officer since December 2006, other than those which took place during meetings with Hayden Phillips.

Jack Straw: In my capacity as Secretary of State for Justice, I have not held any meetings with political party representatives since December 2006.
	In addition to the information in the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 156W, I have met with representatives of political parties on party funding (including those of my own party), in my capacity as one of my party's representatives at the cross-party talks.

Offenders: Databases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place to ensure the effective  (a) capture and  (b) communication of relevant data throughout the offender management system.

David Hanson: Prisons and probation have agreed a core dataset of relevant offender information to be captured and communicated at specified points in the offender journey, using a system of jointly agreed offender management forms, secure e-mail and dedicated offender management mailboxes.
	Data on violent and sexual offenders, managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) will be shared across the offender management system through the ViSOR system. Once the deployment of the system is complete in spring 2008, ViSOR will become the first IT system to be jointly shared across probation, prison and police services.
	Going forward, the newly revised and deliverable NOMIS programme will continue the roll-out of the prison NOMIS database to public prisons. At the same time, the programme will be replacing at-risk case management systems in probation areas, as well as providing a simple read-only database, that will allow staff in both services to have access to important information held on each others' systems to support the management of offenders. In addition, the OASys project, as well as improving the offender risk assessment systems in both prisons and probation, will also provide, for the first time, a single national database of offenders who fall within the agreed scope of offender management.

Offenders: Housing

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the total cost was of providing bail and home detention accommodation through  (a) the Bail Accommodation and Support Service,  (b) ClearSprings Management and  (c) other private contractors in each month for which figures are available; and what the average cost per person per night was in each category over the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people on  (a) bail and  (b) home detention curfew were provided with accommodation by (i) the Bail Accommodation and Support Service, (ii) ClearSprings Management and (iii) other private contractors in each month since July 2007;
	(3)  how many beds are available through the Bail Accommodation and Support Service; in how many properties; and how many of these are run by  (a) ClearSprings Management and  (b) other private contractors.

David Hanson: The Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS) is provided by one contractor: ClearSprings Management Ltd. The total cost of providing the scheme and the cost of the services provided by ClearSprings are given in the following table for each month from June to December 2007:
	
		
			  000 
			  2007  Total BASS  ClearSprings 
			 June 115 102 
			 July 406 390 
			 August 560 547 
			 September 566 551 
			 October 641 544 
			 November 596 495 
			 December 587 441 
		
	
	The average cost per person per night through BASS and ClearSprings Management for the latest period (December 2007) in which figures are available is 81 and 61 respectively.
	I will provide as soon as possible information on the numbers of defendants and offenders released each month into accommodation provided by the ClearSprings Bail Accommodation and Support Service.
	As at 20 February 2008 ClearSprings had supplied 539 bed spaces in 135 properties across England and Wales for the Bail Accommodation and Support Service.
	Many more offenders, including some on Home Detention Curfew, are released into accommodation provided by other private landlords, local authorities, housing associations and the voluntary sector. The cost of the accommodation provided by these providers does not fall on NOMS and it is not possible to provide a total or unit cost. Nor is it possible to provide the number of those released into accommodation. The numbers of beds and properties available from other sources, including other private contractors, is not defined and no numbers can be given. NOMS has invested 14.5 million since 2003 to help prisoners access accommodation on release. The percentage of released prisoners without accommodation to go to has fallen from 46 per cent. in 2003-04 to 13 per cent. for 2006-07.

Open Prisons

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent changes he has made to the criteria for allocating prisoners to open prisons; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Public safety remains paramount and there is no relaxation of standards. The Prison Service Instruction issued in November 2007 identified additional measures to ensure suitable prisoners are allocated to open conditions. This includes: arrangements to ensure that categorisation reviews take place at six monthly intervals for all prisoners in the last 30 months of their sentence; reviews after successful completion of Release on Temporary licence; and that prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months in custody be considered as soon as possible after sentencing.

Prison Services: Travelling People

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by HM Prison Service on raising awareness of Gypsy and Traveller issues in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Figures for monies spent by HM Prison Service on raising awareness of Gypsy and Traveller issues are not available centrally for individual establishments.
	To collect the information required would require contacting all public sector prisons in England and Wales individually and for each establishment to conduct a manual check of their local records. To do so would be at disproportionate cost.

Prisoner Escapes

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in each contracted-out prison  (a) escaped from prison and  (b) escaped from escorts in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Information on the number of escapes from prison and escapes from escort at each contracted prison is provided in the following tables for each financial year to 31 March and for the current year until 31 January 2008.
	
		
			  Escapes from prisons 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Altcourse 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ashfield 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bronzefield(1) n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dovegate 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Forest Bank 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lowdham Grange 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Parc 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough(2) n/a n/a 0 0 0 
			 Rye Hill 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wolds 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	In the end of year Performance Report on Offender Management Targets 2006-07 (PROMT) published in July 2007 on the NOMS website, targets for the rate of escape from prison and prison escorts below 0.05 per cent. of the average population, were met by both the public sector and the contracted estate.
	The target for fewer than one in 20,000 escapes from prison and prison escorts was also met.
	
		
			  Escapes from prison escort 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Altcourse 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ashfield 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bronzefield(1) n/a 0 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dovegate 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Forest Bank 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Lowdham Grange 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Parc 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough(2) n/a n/a 0 0 1 
			 Rye Hill 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Wolds 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) HMP Bronzefield did not become operational until 4 June. (2) HMP Peterborough did not become operational until March 2005

Prisoners Release

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners on indeterminate sentences have been released following the completion of rehabilitation courses;
	(2)  how many prisoners on indeterminate sentences have been released despite not having access to pre-release rehabilitation courses; and how many of those were sex offenders.

David Hanson: Prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) may be considered for release by the independent Parole Board once they have completed the period of imprisonment considered necessary to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence (the tariff period). This period is set in open court by the trial judge when passing sentence. The Parole Board may direct the release of such a prisoner only if it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that the prisoner should be confined. The Secretary of State may release such prisoners at any time only if exceptional circumstances exist which justify release on compassionate grounds.
	As at 31 January 2008, 17 IPP prisoners have been released on licence. The IPP licence will remain in force for at least 10 years, at which point the licensee can apply to have it cancelled. Similar applications can be made annually thereafter. Of those 17 cases, 16 were released on the direction of the Parole Board. One prisoner was released by the Secretary of State prior to tariff expiry on compassionate grounds.
	Consideration of the files of the 16 prisoners released on the direction of the Parole Board indicates that 11 had completed courses specifically aimed at addressing identified risk factors. Such work could also continue as appropriate during the post release licence period.

Prisoners: Food

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost was of the daily food allowance for prisoners in each contracted-out prison in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Information on the cost of the daily food allowance for prisoners in each of the last five years for each contracted prison is provided in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Cost of daily food allowance for prisoners 
			  ( 1) 
			   2007  2006  2005  2004  2003 
			 Altcourse 2.18 2.23 2.24 2.19 2.10 
			 Ashfield 2.81 2.84 2.63 2.63 2.63 
			 Bronzefield (2) 3.45 3.73 3.93 n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster 2.40 2.33 2.23 2.18 2.17 
			 Dovegate 2.25 2.25 2.22 2.17 2.15 
			 Forest Bank 2.91 2.93 2.93 2.85 n/a 
			 Lowdham Grange 2.25 2.25 2.22 2.17 2.15 
			 Parc(3) 2.46 2.46 2.46 2.46 2.46 
			 Peterborough (4) 2.95 3.18 4.42 n/a n/a 
			 Rye Hill 2.15 2.17 2.20 2.12 2.06 
			 Wolds 2.17 2.18 2.15 2.09 2.05 
			 (1) Due to information not being held centrally data have been supplied by each of the four contractors Serco, Kalyx, G4S and GSL. (2) HMP Bronzefield did not open until June 2004. (3) Information provided by Parc is the actual daily allowance per day, however the actual food cost varies over the period between 2.45 and 2.60. (4) HMP Peterborough did not open until March 2005. Data also include providing free staff meals, as it is not possible for the contractor to provide a separated cost.

Prisoners: Skilled Workers

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in each contracted-out prison started a work skills award in each of the last five years; and what percentage of these completed a work skills award.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of completed work skills awards against the target in each contracted prison in each of the last five years is provided in the following table. Information is not centrally available for the number of prisoners who started work skills awards and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Target and actual key work skill awards in each contracted prison( 1) 
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			   Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target 
			 Altcourse 977 752 1,090 663 591 400 506 200 342 17 
			 Ashfield 5,204 630 931 630 616 500 1,689 150   
			 Bronzefield(2) 1,935 800 1,177 800, 630 150 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster 961 470 1,041 440 783 320 411 240 238 241 
			 Dovegate 2,014 1,137 1,134 1,010 994 825 753 800 554 200 
			 Forest Bank 1,042 844 837 782 804 600 771 300 317 300 
			 Lowdham Grange 1,221 1,208 1,102 1,071 1,056 354 265 221   
			 Parc 2,210 1,400 2,067 1,060 1,150 750 866 165 637 154 
			 Peterborough(3) 1,830 760 n/a  n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Rye Hill 334 330 354 330 408 320 229 300 144 150 
			 Wolds 674 345 386 305 642 250 164 150 231 149 
			 (1) Information has been obtained from the PSimon reporting system. Data have also been published in the Prison Service annual report, Office for Contracted Prisons Statement of Performance and the Regional Commissioning and Partnerships annual report available on the HMPS and NOMS website. (2) HMP Bronzefield did not open until June 2004. (3) HMP Peterborough did not open until March 2005. Data for 2006-07 are provided from the Commissioning and Partnerships annual report 2006-07: East of England as data are not available on PSimon. Data have been combined for the male and female prison sites.

Prisoners: Skilled Workers

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in each contracted-out prison started  (a) entry level,  (b) level one and  (c) level two basic skills awards in each of the last five years; and what percentage of these completed (i) entry level, (ii) level one and (iii) level two basic skills awards.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of completed basic skills awards against the target in each contracted prison in each of the last five years is provided in the following tables. Information is not centrally available for the number of prisoners who started basic skills awards and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Entry level basic skill award( 1) 
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			   Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target 
			 Altcourse 135 242 194 194 379 200 114 50 47 20 
			 Ashfield 326 315 282 378 313 300 0 100 n/a n/a 
			 Bronzefield(2) 113 90 106 90 22 25 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster 82 120 125 112 129 120 66 40 33 20 
			 Dovegate 345 290 291 264 191 170 185 90 62 50 
			 Forest Bank 265 220 241 215 244 210 71 40 59 40 
			 Lowdham Grange 69 95 96 95 121 66 47 40 38 40 
			 Parc 388 252 266 237 230 200 252 140 143 140 
			 Peterborough(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Rye Hill 85 99 104 99 136 105 26 25 2 40 
			 Wolds 216 180 190 180 212 200 210 90 183 89 
		
	
	
		
			  Level  one  basic skill award( 1) 
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			   Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target 
			 Altcourse 355 181 283 148 280 138 170 110 193 26 
			 Ashfield 244 105 181 126 120 100 88 50 n/a n/a 
			 Bronzefield(2) 81 40 60 40 24 30 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster 311 220 218 206 125 120 62 40 39 26 
			 Dovegate 269 242 275 212 198 90 160 180 94 150 
			 Forest Bank 239 220 234 210 222 200 127 100 190 40 
			 Lowdham Grange 233 210 247 210 136 103 83 61 63 61 
			 Parc 410 257 269 242 210 205 166 160 203 153 
			 Peterborough(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Rye Hill 107 63 64 63 62 60 64 45 52 35 
			 Wolds 175 172 181 172 193 170 127 27 116 27 
		
	
	
		
			  Level  two  basic skill award( 1) 
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			   Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target 
			 Altcourse 270 249 199 198 204 195 144 130 183 120 
			 Ashfield 127 42 79 50 63 40 19 20 n/a n/a 
			 Bronzefield(2) 40 40 46 40 20 30 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster 232 210 207 197 170 170 140 140 129 105 
			 Dovegate 101 365 333 333 220 200 187 80 67 70 
			 Forest Bank 114 80 88 78 87 75 121 120 153 90 
			 Lowdham Grange 148 134 148 134. 64 61 37 30 43 30 
			 Parc 261 226 244 212 168 150 144 140 247 140 
			 Peterborough(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Rye Hill 62 77 73 77 43 50 35 45 44 35 
			 Wolds 189 120 121 120 130 100 68 67 90 66 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Information has been obtained from the PSimon reporting system. Data have also been published in the Prison Service annual report, Office for Contracted Prisons Statement of Performance and the Regional Commissioning and Partnerships annual report available on the HMPS and NOMS website. (2) HMP Bronzefield did not open until June 2004. (3) HMP Peterborough did not open until March 2005.

Prisoners: Suicide

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in each contracted-out prison  (a) committed suicide,  (b) attempted suicide and  (c) deliberately self-harmed in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: In response to parts  (a) and  (c) of the question, the following tables list (i) the numbers of self-inflicted deaths and (ii) the numbers of self-harm incidents, for the 11 contracted prisons in England and Wales. Regarding part  (b) of the question, attempted suicide is not recorded in prisons as it is not possible to measure suicidal intent.
	
		
			  (i) Self-inflicted deaths( 1) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Altcourse 2 0 4 0 0 
			 Ashfield 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bronzefield 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster 1 0 1 1 0 
			 Dovegate 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Forest Bank 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Lowdham Grange 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Parc 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Peterborough 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Rye Hill 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Wolds 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Percentage of all self-inflicted deaths 4 0 9 7 2 
			 (1 )The Prison Service/NOMS definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available. 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Recorded self-harm incidents( 1) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Altcourse 168 166 122 219 215 
			 Ashfield 286 239 172 224 142 
			 Bronzefield 0 274 831 1,165 1,743 
			 Doncaster 318 370 336 276 269 
			 Dovegate 163 100 174 210 156 
			 Forest Bank 214 257 200 333 317 
			 Lowdham Grange 4 16 19 30 42 
			 Parc 326 251 368 285 189 
			 Peterborough 0 0 973 1,329 1,245 
			 Rye Hill 46 147 198 85 86 
			 Wolds 10 6 6 16 19 
			 (1 )The Prison Service/NOMS defines self-harm as any incident where a prisoner deliberately harms themselves irrespective of method, intent or severity of any injury. The numbers of self-harm incidents reported here are based on information supplied by prisons through the Prison Service Incident Reporting System. Many self-harm incidents often involve the same individuals, and changing numbers of incidents at different prisons can reflect the movement of such prisoners. Self-harm is a high volume incident that can be subject to technical and recording problems. While the system provides a sensible indication of the scale of self-harm the numbers of incidents should not be treated as absolute.

Prisons: Drugs

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of prisoners in each contracted-out prison were subject to yearly mandatory drug testing in each of the last five years; and  (a) how many and  (b) what percentage of those tested positive for drugs.

David Hanson: Prisoners are subject to both random and targeted mandatory drug testing. The figures(1) for contracted out prisons in each of the last five years are given in the following tables. Some prisoners will have been tested more than once in any year.
	
		
			  Random MDT testing 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Prison  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % + 
			 Altcourse 1,172 10.0 12.0 1,182 9.9 12.0 1,155 10.0 14.7 1,136 9.9 10.4 1,204 9.7 13.0 
			 Ashfield 330 10.3 11.5 297 8.9 8.1 339 9.6 7.4 365 9.2 3.6 442 9.8 1.8 
			 Bronzefield(2)   283 8.4 17.0 384 7.6 9.9 277 5.5 5.8 
			 Doncaster 1,266 9.4 9.7 1,262 9.5 10.7 1,305 9.9 8.2 1,309 10.1 6.2 1,339 10.0 8.5 
			 Dovegate 788 8.7 11.7 817 8.0 17.5 922 9.2 15.2 829 8.5 16.0 807 8.1 12.5 
			 Forest Bank 1,263 10.4 14.9 1,298 10.8 21.4 1,225 10.0 21.0 624 5.1 21.0 640 5.1 9.5 
			 Lowdham Grange 315 5.1 4.1 309 4.9 4.9 311 5.1 8.4 310 5.0 10.3 327 5.0 14.4 
			 Parc 539 4.6 14.3 583 5.0 23.8 599 5.0 15.2 597 5.0 6.5 628 4.9 5.4 
			 Peterborough Female(3)  266 13.9 10.5 387 15.8 7.8 
			 Peterborough Male(3)  411 8.9 16.1 507 4.9 21.5 
			 Rye Hill 393 5.0 4.6 396 5.0 7.3 386 5.0 14.0 356 5.0 16.3 367 5.1 15.8 
			 Wolds 465 10.2 3.2 419 10.1 3.3 425 10.3 1.4 361 10.2 1.4 403 9.9 5.5 
		
	
	continued
	
		
			  Targeted MDT testing 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Prison  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % +  Tests  % pop  % + 
			 Altcourse 211 1.8 37.9 152 1.3 33.6 327 2.9 47.1 309 2.7 32.4 137 1.1 24.8 
			 Ashfield 201 6.3 32.3 163 4.9 45.4 197 5.7 43.1 154 3.9 42.2 217 4.8 43.3 
			 Bronzefield(2)   69 2.0 43.5 101 2.0 34.7 153 3.0 27.5 
			 Doncaster 923 6.9 26.2 1284 9.6 23.8 1398 10.6 19.8 1350 10.5 18.1 1088 8.1 28.3 
			 Dovegate 177 2.0 18.6 403 4.0 15.1 383 3.9 15.7 551 5.7 24.7 612 6.1 22.1 
			 Forest Bank 659 5.4 L38.1 678 5.6 51.2 682 5.6 49.9 1134 9.2 54.1 1273 10.0 42.9 
			 Lowdham Grange 511 8.2 7.0 602 9.6 8.3 549 8.9 8.4 542 8.9 16.8 626 9.5 12.9 
			 Parc 26 0.2 53.8 77 0.6 49.4 47 0.4 17.0 107 0.9 19.6 118 1.0 16.9 
			 Peterborough Female(3)  236 12.3 27.1 444 18.1 17.3 
			 Peterborough Male(3)  135 2.9 39.3 340 3.3 35.9 
			 Rye Hill 141 1.8 23.4 129 1.7 26.4 30 0.4 40.0 37 0.6 45.9 221 3.0 34.4 
			 Wolds 65 1.4 21.5 120 3.0 18.3 122 2.9 14.8 125 3.5 18.4 128 3.1 10.2 
			 (1) % pop = percentage of prisoners tested based on total of monthly population figures over twelve months; % + = percentage of tests that tested positive. (2) HMP Bronzefield did not open until June 2004. (3) HMP Peterborough did not open until March 2005.  Notes: 1. Information has not been provided for the total number of tests that tested positive as this can be calculated by using the percentage of positive tests and the number of tests carried out. 2. There are two types of MDTrandom and targeted. The random MDT positive rate is one of the prison service's key performance indicators. Initially, 10 per cent. of every prison's population was tested each month under the random programme, but since 1999 prisons with a population of 400 or above have tested 5 per cent. The reduced level of random testing was expected to be compensated for by an increase in targeted testing. Due to contractual obligations, some contracted out prisons have continued to test at the 10 per cent. random level.

Prisons: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what quantity of drugs has been detected by passive drug detection dogs since their introduction in each of the prisons in which they have been deployed.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Records of passive drug dog indications and subsequent drug finds are held locally, so to obtain the information required would mean consulting all prisons that are operating or have operated passive drug dogs.

Prisons: Procurement

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he is considering allowing individual prisons to procure goods and services other than through the national procurement system where it can be demonstrated that better value for money is achieved in so doing.

Maria Eagle: Acquisition of goods and services in the Prison Service is now undertaken by procurement professionals utilising the national procurement system as part of the process. This model has been introduced to improve value for money and allows decisions to purchase on a local basis where that makes sense. It has been designed to allow front line staff to concentrate on the core business of managing prisoners rather than being diverted by procurement activity. There are no proposals to change the current model.

Probation: Databases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place  (a) for staff in the National Probation Service to record relevant offender management information on the C-NOMIS database and  (b) for offender information held on C-NOMIS to be transferred between the Prison Service and the National Probation Service.

David Hanson: There are currently no arrangements in place for staff in probation areas to read or record offender management information directly to or from the prison NOMIS database.
	Relevant offender information held on prison NOMIS is transferred between the prison and probation service staff using a system of jointly agreed offender management forms, secure e-mail and dedicated OM mailboxes.
	The newly revised and deliverable NOMIS programme, will, through its constituent projects, provide a simple read-only database, that will allow staff in the community to have access to important information from prison NOMIS in support of offender management.

Probation: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on offender management rollout of the planned reductions in funding to the National Probation Service over the next three years.

David Hanson: Three phases of Offender Management have now been successfully rolled out. These cover offenders sentenced to Community Orders, Indeterminate sentences for Public Protection, Prolific and Priority Offenders and high/very high risk offenders in custody. An assessment will be carried out later this year of our capacity to rollout further phases.

Safety: Females

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women's safety workers there are in each probation area.

Maria Eagle: Information about the number of women's safety workers in each probation area is not held centrally.
	The cognitive behavioural programmes delivered by probation areas to tackle domestic violence are accredited by an independent panel of experts. The accreditation for the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme and the Community Domestic Violence Programme requires that, in order for probation areas to deliver the programme as a component of a wider risk management system, they employ women safety workers either directly or under local partnership arrangements. A recent self-audit indicated that all probation areas were complying with this requirement.

Sentencing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of tariff for indeterminate sentences has been since their inception; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: A research study into prisoners received into prisons in England and Wales under indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) between April 2005 and March 2006, showed that the median tariff (minimum term) given to these prisoners was 30 months. Findings from the research were published in Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.
	This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems and data returns from prison establishments which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Sentencing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of sentences from Crown courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of offenders convicted in Crown courts were given custodial sentences of  (a) six months or less,  (b) six to 12 months,  (c) one to two years,  (d) two to four years,  (e) four to six years,  (f) six to 10 years and  (g) 10 years or more in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table shows the available information which can also be found in table 2.2 of Sentencing Statistics 2006, available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to immediate custody at the Crown court by length of sentence, 1996 to 2006, England and Wales 
			  Number of persons and percentages 
			  Custody rate and sentence length  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  All offences
			 Total persons sentenced 73,578 79,417 80,262 77,035 74,202 71,888 76,065 75,891 76,119 75,600 76,439 
			 Number given immediate custody 44,083 47,324 47,951 47,349 46,212 44,405 46,694 44,274 44,938 43,986 42,586 
			 Percentage given immediate custody 59.9 59.6 59.7 61.5 62.3 61.8 61.4 58.3 59.0 58.2 55.7 
			 
			 Up to and including 3 months 4,003 4,179 4,349 4,530 4,285 3,488 3,066 2,898 2,909 2,723 2,458 
			 Proportion (percentage) 9 9 9 10 9 8 7 7 6 6 6 
			 
			 Over 3 months and up to and including 6 months 6,303 6,575 6,820 6,842 6,753 5,894 5,496 5,250 5,158 5,055 4,565 
			 Proportion (percentage) 14 14 14 14 15 13 12 12 11 11 11 
			 
			 Over 6 months and less than 12 months 5,502 5,808 5,920 5,489 5,505 5,001 5,076 4,746 5,094 5,290 5,081 
			 Proportion (percentage) 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 12 12 
			 
			 12 months 5,259 5,641 5,837 5,677 5,316 5,019 5,130 4,800 4,811 5,001 4,775 
			 Proportion (percentage) 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 
			 
			 Over 12 months and up to and including 18 months 6,812 7,071 7,417 7,061 6,575 6,323 6,769 6,297 6,150 6,079 6,060 
			 Proportion (percentage) 15 15 15 15 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 
			 
			 Over 18 months and up to and including 3 years 9,639 10,822 10,573 10,378 10,232 10,254 11,205 10,541 10,676 10,366 10,343 
			 Proportion (percentage) 22 23 22 22 22 23 24 24 24 24 24 
			 
			 Over 3 years and less than 4 years 780 935 1,096 1,222 1,354 1,617 1,969 1,861 2,082 1,745 1,533 
			 Proportion (percentage) 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 4 4 
			 
			 4 years 1,795 1,886 1,754 1,737 1,789 1,917 2,251 2,128 2,146 1,745 1,607 
			 Proportion (percentage) 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 4 4 
			 
			 Over 4 years and up to and including 5 years 1,384 1,553 1,511 1,539 1,536 1,748 2,099 2,090 2,161 1,920 1,670 
			 Proportion (percentage) 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 4 4 
			 
			 Over 5 years and up to and including 10 years 1,973 2,113 1,973 2,054 2,091 2,332 2,679 2,747 2,772 2,658 2,190 
			 Proportion (percentage) 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 5 
			 
			 Over 10 years and less than life 294 374 307 337 309 309 399 403 409 353 309 
			 Proportion (percentage) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 
			 Indeterminate sentence(1) * * * * * * * * * 426 1,448 
			 Proportion (percentage) * * * * * * * * * 1 3 
			 
			 Life 338 367 394 483 467 503 555 513 570 625 547 
			 Proportion (percentage) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 (1) Sentences of imprisonment for public protection introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 on 4 April 2005.

Sentencing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what objectives he has set for sentence planning by offender managers for the next three years.

David Hanson: The objectives for completion of sentence plans by offender managers are laid out in the National Standards for the Management of Offenders 2007. The standards specify that offender managers should complete a sentence plan on all offenders under their supervision in the community, and upon those covered by phases 2 and 3 of the roll-out of the Offender Management Model. The standards also specify the time scales for completion and review of sentence plans. A target of 90 per cent. has been set for the timely completion of sentence plans on offenders in the community.

Sentencing: First Time Offenders

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of first time offenders brought before Crown courts were given custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of first time offenders given custodial sentences from Crown courts were reconvicted within two years of release from custody in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of first time offenders given custodial sentences by magistrates' courts were  (a) juveniles and  (b) young adults in each year since 1993; how many and what proportion of each category were reconvicted within two years of release in each of those years; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of first time offenders sentenced by magistrates courts were given custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table 1 shows the number of first time offenders sentenced at Crown and magistrates courts from 2000-05 based on a sample of offenders, and the percentage of these given custody. The sample is all offenders sentenced in the first quarter of each year. A first time offender is defined as an offender with no previous convictions or cautions.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of first time offenders sentenced at Crown and magistrates courts and percentage given custody, 2000-05 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Crown courts   
			 Total number sentenced 2,964 2,900 3,110 2,980 3,033 2,903 
			 Number given custody 1,440 1,508 1,680 1,490 1,566 1,550 
			 Percentage given custody 49 52 54 50 52 53 
			
			  Magistrates  courts   
			 Total number sentenced 7,386 6,785 6,109 6,317 6,254 5,936 
			 Number given custody 351 [425 372 437 488 409 
			 Percentage given custody 5 6 6 7 8 7 
		
	
	Data are not available before 2000.
	Table 2 shows the number and percentage of first time offenders given custodial sentences at magistrates courts who were  (a) juvenile and  (b) young adults.
	
		
			  Table 2: Juvenile and young adult first time offenders given custodial sentences at magistrates courts 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Juveniles (aged 10-17) 23 37 29 30 34 35 
			 Percentage of all first time offenders given custodial sentences 7 9 8 7 7 9 
			 Young adults (aged 18-20) 46 81 48 46 53 45 
			 Percentage of all first time offenders given custodial sentences 13 19 13 11 11 11 
		
	
	Data on proven re-offending rates are not available for this breakdown of offenders.

Sentencing: Young People

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of sentences handed down to  (a) juveniles and young adults of each sex, from magistrate courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of sentences handed down to adult  (a) males and  (b) females from magistrate courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of sentences handed down to  (a) juveniles and  (b) young adults of each sex, from Crown courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of sentences handed down to adult  (a) males and  (b) females from Crown courts were custodial sentences in each year since 1993; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The following table shows the available information.
	
		
			  Number of offenders sentenced and given immediate custody, by court gender and age band, 1996-2000 
			Male  Female 
			10-17  18-20  21+  All ages  10-17  18-20  21+  All ages 
			  1996  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 62,792 122,891 911,573 1,097,256 7,901 16,925 229,707 254,533 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 3,973 6,783 28,28 39,040 129 267 1,730 2,126 
			  Proportion 6 6 3 4 2 2 1 1 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 3,641 11,665 51,845 67,151 263 817 5,347 6,427 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 2,300 7,422 32,084 41,806 95 278 1,904 2,277 
			  Proportion 63 64 62 62 36 34 36 35 
			   
			  1997  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 65,127 126,496 892,539 1,084,162 9,043 16,352 184,404 209,799 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 3,963 7,272 32,271 43,506 166 341 2,504 3,01 
			  Proportion 6 6 4 4 2 2 1 1 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 4,520 12,633 55,077 72,230 402 978 5,807 7,187 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 2,812 7,871 34,146 44,829 142 301 2,052 2,495 
			  Proportion 62 62 62 62 35 37 35 35 
			   
			  1998  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 71,075 135,054 942,411 1,148,540 10,445 18,256 199,273 227,974 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,294 8,191 36,250 48,735 221 489 3,170 3,880 
			  Proportion 6 6 4 4 2 3 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 4,421 12,814 55,507 72,742 353 998 6,169 7,520 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 2,587 7,961 34,716 45,264 115 362 2,210 2,687 
			  Proportion 59 62 63 62 33 36 36 36 
			   
			  1999  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 74,856 134,660 898,664 1,108,180 10,543 17,392 184,636 212,571 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,654 9,166 39,648 53,468 275 579 3,652 4,506 
			  Proportion 6 7 4 5 3 3 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 4,406 12,343 52,850 69,599 355 1,017 6,064 7,436 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 2,590 7,882 33,879 44,351 134 384 2,480 2,998 
			  Proportion 59 64 64 64 38 38 41 40 
			   
			  2000  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 76,863 130,703 883,668 1,091,234 10,561 18,202 219,989 248,752 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,811 9,597 40,624 55,032 324 700 3,919 4,943 
			  Proportion 6 7 5 5 3 4 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 3,707 12,121 51,036 66,864 349 1,064 5,925 7,338 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 2,157 7,727 33,371 43,255 122 417 2,418 2,957 
			  Proportion 58 64 65 65 35 39 41 40 
			   
			  2001  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 81,020 128,085 827,247 1,036,352 11,063 16,975 202,244 230,282 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 5,440 9,391 42,030 56,861 329 673 4,005 5,007 
			  Proportion 7 7 5 5 3 4 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 3,067 11,834 49,772 64,673 335 1,013 5,867 7,215 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 1,707 7,491 32,153 41,351 120 393 2,541 3,054 
			  Proportion 56 63 65 64 36 39 43 42 
			   
			  2002  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 79,792 128,871 874,896 1,083,558 10,896 17,394 222,591 250,591 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,910 8, 770 45,652 59,332 340 622 4,619 5,581 
			  Proportion 6 7 5 5 3 4 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 3, 6394 12,043 52,914 68,351 466 1,076 6,172 7,714 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 1,976 7,520 33,948 43,444 190 451 2,609 3,250 
			  Proportion 58 62 64 64 41 42 42 42 
			   
			  2003  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 78,292 132,064 940,769 1,151,125 11,339 17,687 223,770 252,796 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,362 7,854 45,479 57,695 287 596 4,818 5,701 
			  Proportion 6 6 5 5 3 3 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 2,546 11,301 54,223 68,070 354 1,015 6,452 7,821 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 1,414 6,611 33,140 41,165 137 377 2,595 3,109 
			  Proportion 56 58 67 60 39 37 40 40 
			   
			  2004  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 80,672 126,530 982,123 1,189,325 12,476 17,624 241,282 271,382 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,326 7,171 44,351 55,848 339 478 4,719 5,536 
			  Proportion 5 6 5 5 3 3 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 2,741 11,202 54,073 68,016 299 1,043 6,761 8,103 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 1,555 6,646 33,519 41,720 105 341 2,772 3,218 
			  Proportion 57 59 62 61 35 33 47 40 
			   
			  2005  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 80,087 116,149 927,117 1,123,353 13,420 17,709 243,193 274,322 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,087 6,761 41,290 52,138 375 486 4,251 5,112 
			  Proportion 5 6 4 5 3 3 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 2,378 11,153 53,777 67,308 3183 1,040 6,934 8,292 
			  Crown court 1,425 6,590 32,802 40,817 128 394 2,647 3,169 
			 Immediate custody Proportion 60 59 61 61 40 38 38 38 
			   
			  2006  
			 Total sentenced Magistrates court 77,766 111,825 877,482 1,067,073 13,437 17,989 238,002 269,428 
			 Immediate custody Magistrates court 4,209 6,560 37,851 48,620 363 497 3,951 4,811 
			  Proportion 5 6 4 5 3 3 2 2 
			 Total sentenced Crown court 2,370 11,835 53,950 68,155 233 1,045 7,006 8,284 
			 Immediate custody Crown court 1,521 6,486 31,546 39,553 90 354 2,589 3,033 
			  Proportion 64 55 58 58 39 34 37 37 
			  Source:  Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies in any large scale recording system.

Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the value was of each grant provided by his Department and its predecessors, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council,  (b) Shropshire county council and  (c) Telford and the Wrekin borough council in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and what grants have been planned for 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: The only grants made by the Department to the Councils listed have been in relation to electoral matters. The grants have been paid under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 which allows for Ministers to provide support to local authorities towards expenditure incurred in implementing the collection of personal identifiers (under Section 14 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006) and in delivering electoral modernisation pilots.
	 (i) 2006-07
	Section 31 grant for collection of personal identifiers 2006-07
	 (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham10,708.25
	 (b) Shropshirenil
	 (c) Telford and the Wrekin35,471.20
	Section 31 grant for electoral pilot scheme 2006-07
	 (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham - 39,500
	 (ii) 2007-08
	Section 31 grant for checking of personal identifiers 2007-08
	 (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham9,086.22
	 (b) Shropshirenil
	 (c) Telford and the Wrekin34,493.58
	Section 31 grant for electoral pilot scheme 2007-08
	 (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham1,096,165
	 (iii) 2008-09
	Section 31 Grants are planned to be paid to Shrewsbury and Atcham and Telford and Wrekin borough councils for electoral registration data standards in 2008-09 but the exact amounts payable have yet to be finalised.
	Information on grants provided by the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is held by the bodies themselves. This information is not held centrally.

Suicide: Internet

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will meet representatives of the Papyrus charity to discuss action to reduce incidents of internet-related suicides.

Maria Eagle: I will be meeting representatives of Papyrus to discuss their concerns very shortly.

Suicide: Internet

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases of successful prosecutions for online promotion of suicide there have been.

Maria Eagle: Data collected on prosecutions for assisting or attempting to assist suicide do not differentiate between online and off-line actions but the overall number of prosecutions for these offences is low.

Young Offender Institutions: Restraint Techniques

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times restraint has been used in young offender institutions and secure training centres in England and Wales since April 2007.

David Hanson: The following table, which is based on information supplied by the Youth Justice Board, shows the number of restraints by month in young offender institutions and secure training centres from April to December 2007. Data for January 2008 are not yet available.
	
		
			   YOI  STC 
			  2007   
			 April 273 170 
			 May 269 270 
			 June 276 276 
			 July 345 386 
			 August 306 313 
			 September 281 202 
			 October 296 242 
			 November 320 211 
			 December 267 201

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged  (a) nought to two,  (b) two to 10 and  (c) over 10 years old were adopted in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: Statistical information on the total number of adoptions in England and Wales by age of child for the years 1996 to 2006 is included in Table 2a of the document Adoptions 2006, published by the Office for National Statistics. A copy of this publication is available in the House Library and on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www. statistics. gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15049.
	Data on the number of children adopted cannot be produced for the age groups requested by the hon. Member.

Adoption: Finance

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much he has budgeted for  (a) adoption support and  (b) special guardianship as part of children's services grant for each of the financial years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Kevin Brennan: Local authorities fund adoption and special guardianship services from their formula grant allocations. This grant, which is paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government, is unhypothecated and does not identify funding for any specific area of local authorities' activity.
	The children's services grant, which in 2006-07 and 2007-08 included an element of funding to support implementation of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, has been subsumed within the formula grant from 2008-09. The formula grant has been increased to reflect this transfer.

Antisocial Behaviour: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the future funding of Bournemouth's Respect zone.

Beverley Hughes: The future funding allocated to Bournemouth borough council to tackle antisocial behaviour and provide parenting support is outlined in the following table.
	
		
			   
			  Funding stream  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Family Intervention Project 79,412.90 55,589.00 38,912.30 
			 Parenting Practitioner 50,000 50,000 50,000 
			 Area Based Grant 35,000 35,000 35,000

Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his Department in each year since its establishment; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result;
	(2)  how many miles he and other Ministers in his Department travelled on short haul flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result of these flights.

Kevin Brennan: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy products with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	In addition, offsetting the flights of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid by his Department to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year from 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The total amount paid to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			
			 2000-01 26,365,741 
			 2001-02 42,377,830 
			 2002-03 27,050,920 
			 2003-04 35,895,108 
			 2004-05 211,887,690 
			 2005-06 198,944,409 
			 2006-07 114,262,373 
			 2007-08 96,520,046 
		
	
	The expenditure relates to payments recorded in the Department's integrated financial information system and credited against Capita Group plc or its subsidiaries. The figure for 2007-08 is for amounts credited up to December 2007.
	A complete answer to the question which contracts were awarded by his Department to Capita Group plc in each year from 2000-01 to the latest available date; what the cost was of each contract; what the length was of each contract could be supplied only at disproportionate cost as the Department does not maintain a central record of all contracts.
	I can tell you, however, from the records that the Department does hold on Capita and its subsidiaries the following information on contracts (this may not be a comprehensive list):
	
		
			  Contract  Year let  Contract length (year)  Contract value ( million) 
			 Individual Learning Accounts 2000-01 (1)5 55 
			 Connexions Card 2001-02 (2)6 l09 
			 Education Maintenance Allowances 2003-04 (3)5 48 
			 Teachers' Pensions 2003-04 7 61 
			 Management Consultancy Framework 2003-04 5 (4) 
			 London Challenge 2004-05 1 0.1 
			 National Strategies 2005-06 5 180 
			 Criminal Records Bureau checking service for Day Care providers 2005-06 5 (4) 
			 Children's Services Improvement Framework 2006-07 4 (4) 
			 Project Management Framework for Academies 2007-08 4 (4) 
			 Special Educational Needs Framework 2007-08 3 (4) 
			 (1) Terminated October 2002 (2) Terminated August 2006 (3) Contract novated to Learning and Skills Council April 2005 (4) This is a framework agreement and the value of the overall contract is dependant on the number of individual contracts awarded to Capita. 
		
	
	Project management and construction project management services for Academies let in 2004 for a period of 4 years (these are framework agreements and the value of the overall contract is dependant on the number of individual contracts awarded to Capita);
	The supply of interim personnel and consultants for the Office of the Schools Commissioner (OSC). Information on contracts is supplied as follows (this may not be a comprehensive list).
	
		
			  Contract  Year let  Contract length (year)  Contract value ( million) 
			 Local Authority Liaison 2006 2 0.75 
			 Sponsor brokerage 2006 1.5 0.34 
			 Sponsor brokerage 2007 1 0.29 
		
	
	An answer to the questions what penalties for default were imposed on contract provisions; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Children in Care: Housing

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the average cost of housing a looked-after child in an independent children's home is in 2007-08;
	(2)  how many looked-after children are housed in  (a) a local authority and  (b) independent children's home;
	(3)  how many children have been placed for adoption with an extended family member in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many children were adopted in each local authority in each of the last five years;
	(5)  how many adoption placements were made with extended family members in each of the last five years;
	(6)  how many children born to children in care were  (a) taken into care and  (b) adopted in each of the last five years;
	(7)  how many children in care were born to mothers aged under 16 years, broken down by age of mother, in the last 12 months;
	(8)  how many children have been  (a) in foster placements and  (b) in children's homes for over a year, broken down by age of child.

Kevin Brennan: The information is as follows:
	 PQ 186700
	Information on the average annual cost of housing a looked-after child in an independent children's home is not collected centrally by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
	 PQ 186701
	Information on the number of children looked after that are housed in  (a) a local authority and  (b) independent children's homes is not collected centrally by the DCSF.
	 PQ 186702
	Information on the number of children who have been placed for adoption with an extended family member in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DCSF. However, table A3 of the Statistical First Release (SFR 27/2007) entitled 'Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2007' shows the number of children looked after by English local authorities (LAs), who were placed for adoption at 31 March for each year from 2003 to 2007. The SFR is located at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000741/index.shtml and table A3 can be found within the first set of excel tables on the website.
	 PQ 186749
	Information on the number of children who were adopted in each LA in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DCSF. However, the number of children looked after by English LAs, who were adopted in each LA in each of the years ending 31 March 2003 to 2007 can be found in table LAE1 at the same aforementioned link. Table LAE1 can be found within the third set of excel tables on the website.
	 PQ 186752
	Information on the number of adoption placements that were made with extended family members in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DCSF. Please see the first aforementioned paragraph answering PQ 186702 for the most readily available data.
	 PQ 186808
	Information on the number of children born to children in care who were  (a) taken into care and  (b) adopted in each of the last five years is not collected centrally by the DCSF.
	 PQ 186809
	Information on the number of children in care that were born to mothers aged under 16 years, is not collected centrally by the DCSF.
	 PQ 186810
	Information on the number of children looked after in English LAs who have been  (a) in the same foster placement and  (b) in the same children's home for over a year, broken down by age at 31 March 2007 is shown in tables 1 and 2, as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1: Children looked after for over one year in the same foster placement at 31 March 2007( 1, 2, 3) , England 
			   Number 
			 All children looked after for over one year  in the same foster placement at 31 March 2007(1, 2) 23,900 
			   
			 Age at 31 March 2007 (years) 23,900 
			 1 630 
			 2 530 
			 3 570 
			 4 610 
			 5 670 
			 6 790 
			 7 920 
			 8 1,100 
			 9 1,300 
			 10 1,600 
			 11 1,800 
			 12 2,100 
			 13 2,100 
			 14 2,300 
			 15 2,200 
			 16 2,400 
			 17 2,100 
			 18  
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 : Children looked after for over one y ear in the same children's home  at 31 March 2007( 1, 2, 3) , England 
			   Number 
			 All children looked after for over one year  in the same children's home at 31 March 2007(1, 2) 2,100 
			   
			 Age at 31 March 2007 (years) 2,100 
			 1 0 
			 2 0 
			 3  
			 4 0 
			 5  
			 6  
			 7  
			 8 10 
			 9 20 
			 10 70 
			 11 80 
			 12 140 
			 13 190 
			 14 280 
			 15 430 
			 16 500 
			 17 340 
			 18 10 
			 19  
			 (1) Source: SSDA903 return on children looked after. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements. (3) To ensure that no individual can be identified from statistical tables, we use conventions for the rounding and suppression of very small numbers. All numbers which appear in national tables have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. Numbers from 1 to 5 inclusive have been suppressed, being replaced in the table by a long dash ''. It has been necessary to suppress other figures whenever it would be possible to calculate the value of a suppressed number by a means of simple arithmetic. The rule applied in these circumstances has been to suppress the next smallest data item provided its value is strictly less than 20.

Children in Care: Social Workers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children in care have a named qualified social worker assigned to them.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 7 February 2008
	The percentage of children in care who have a named qualified social worker assigned to them in England has increased from 94.8 per cent. in 2005-06 to 95.5 per cent. in 2006-07.

Children: Databases

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the ContactPoint database will be operational; whose details will be included on it; who will have access to it; how much it will cost to establish and maintain; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: ContactPoint is a key element of the Every Child Matters programme to transform children's services by supporting more effective prevention and early intervention. Its goal is to improve outcomes and the experience of public services for all children, young people and families. It will provide a quick way for practitioners to find out who else is working with the same child or young person.
	ContactPoint will be deployed to the 'Early Adopter' local authorities and two of our seven national partners in October 2008. It will be deployed to all other local authorities and national partners by May 2009.
	The information that must or may be included on ContactPoint is set out in the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 made under section 12 of the Children Act 2004.
	ContactPoint will contain records for all children and young people in England who are under the age of 18. To help support the transition to adult services, there is provision for records of young people leaving care or with learning disabilities to remain on ContactPoint up to the age of 25 but only with their consent.
	Access to ContactPoint will be limited strictly to those who need it to do their job (currently estimated at around 330,000 practitioners). Before being granted access, users must complete mandatory face-to-face training, have obtained security clearance (including enhanced Criminal Records Bureau clearance) and have a user name, a password, a PIN and a security token to control their access to ContactPoint.
	When accessing a child's record, all users will have to state a clear reason why they are accessing ContactPoint. All use of the system will be monitored and audited and every access to a child's record will be detailed in the ContactPoint audit trail. This will be regularly monitored by local authorities, using on-line user activity reports, to ensure that any misuse is detected and that appropriate action is taken.
	One-off implementation costs will total 224 million. Operating costs will be 41 million per year, most of which will pay for the additional staff needed to ensure the on-going security, accuracy and audit of ContactPoint.

Children: Day Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the impact of proposed changes to registration and annual childminder fees on the future supply of registered childminders;
	(2)  if he will give consideration to the merits of phasing the increases in registration and annual fees for pre-schools and full-day nursery care centres.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 22 February 2008
	We published impact assessments on the proposed changes to the child care registration and fee arrangements as part of the consultation exercises. On the registration requirements, our assessment did not show an effect on the supply of childminders as we are making only minor adjustments to the existing arrangements. The new system of regulation will provide Ofsted with the information it needs to determine whether essential standards of child welfare have been met and our proposals were supported by a majority of respondents in our consultation exercise last year.
	On the proposed fee changes we expect the impact on numbers of childminders to be small. As we made clear in the impact assessment and the consultation document, we are not proposing to remove the current subsidy for registration and inspection costs and we would intend to phase in changes to the fee arrangements over three years, with the changes not complete until 2010. Local authorities are required to secure sufficient childcare available to meet the needs of working parents and have allied powers to assist providers. The fees consultation exercise closed on 20 February 2008 and we will carefully consider all the responses before publishing the Government's response in the spring.

Children: Voluntary Organisations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to include the third sector in strategies to improve the lives of children.

Kevin Brennan: The third sector has played and continues to play a key role in the development and delivery of Every Child Matters. The sector is strongly represented on the Children's Plan Expert Groups which were set up in autumn 2007 to support the Department with developing the Children's Plan and to consider its implementation and the challenges to delivery.
	Third sector organisations have been instrumental in the development of many individual policies, for example, Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC), the Government's transformation programme for disabled children's services. They continue to be key partners as we implement the AHDC programme and are represented on the Ministerial Implementation Group that oversees the programme.
	Other groundbreaking areas of the Department's business where the third sector engagement has been very influential include support for parents, particularly fathers, early years provision, services for children in care and the provision of positive activities for young people. The sector's capacity to deliver innovative services, to reach out to some of the most disadvantaged and disengaged and to provide a voice for children, young people and families is highly valued by the Department.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether it is his Department's policy to use  (a) incandescent light bulbs and  (b) LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not currently have a policy, but will undertake a review and where appropriate will move away from incandescent light bulbs to LED lights for festive decorations on the five buildings occupied by my Department.

Departmental Absenteeism

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total number of absence days of staff in his Department was in 2007.

Kevin Brennan: The total number of sickness absence days taken by staff in the Department in the period July to December 2007 is 10,404 days.
	It is not possible to provide a figure for the whole calendar year as the Department was created as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007. The total provided here is based on the six-month period 1 July to 31 December 2007 (the latest information available). The rolling average of working days lost per staff member at 31 December 2007 was 7.7. The Department is on target to achieve year on year sickness absence targets agreed with Cabinet Office, including a 2010 target to reduce sickness absence levels to 7.0 days per full-time equivalent member of staff.

Departmental Contracts

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) objective and  (b) value was of each contract placed with (i) Deloitte and Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting by his Department and its agencies in each year since 2004-05.

Kevin Brennan: Historical figures are not available for the Department for Children, Schools and Families and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department does not hold a central record for the Department and its agencies, and cannot provide detailed information on the nature of all contracts, consultancies and other services placed with the stated companies. To do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
	Our records for the Department for Education and Skills show the following departmental spend:
	
		
			   
			  Company  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  Total 
			 Deloitte and Touche 940,245.80 670,095.55 241,806.08 1,852,147.43 
			 Ernst and Young 111,301.40 135,544.41 467,155.43 714,001.24 
			 KPMG 106,297.10 0 241,898.28 348,195.38 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 5,684,974.11 5,085,915.36 4,335,763.97 15,106,653.44 
			 PA Consulting 543,832.85 607,789.42 2,282,954.23 3,434,576.50

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff working in his Department were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 24 January 2008
	 The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Children, Schools and Families. To respond fully would involve an information collection exercise that would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. However, to be helpful, some information is available.
	Central procurement records show that the following quantities of personal digital assistants have been purchased by the Department, and its predecessor, the Department for Education and Skills, since 2001. There is no information available centrally to show the number of devices in use by  (a) male or  (b) female members of staff.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Number of PDAs purchased 
			 2001 104 
			 2002 66 
			 2003 104 
			 2004 45 
			 2005 90 
			 2006 39 
			 2007 2

Departmental ICT

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) mobile telephones,  (b) personal digital assistants and  (c) laptop computers issued to staff in his Department or its predecessor were reported (i) lost, (ii) missing and (iii) stolen in each year since 2001.

Kevin Brennan: The number of items reported as lost, missing, or stolen are as follows:
	
		
			   Mobile telephone  Laptop  Desktop  PDA  Blackberry 
			 2007/08 2 8 0 0 5 
			 2006/07 1 9 0 1 3 
			 2005/06 3 19 1 0 0 
			 2004/05 6 37 3 3 0 
			 2003/04 7 8 0 0 0 
			 2002/03 4 0 0 0 0 
			 2001/02 2 3 0 0 0

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each year since establishment.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was established in June 2007 and employs the full-time equivalent of 20.5 press officers and 68.4 communication officers.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Kevin Brennan: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. The first bonuses are due to be paid on 1 April 2008.

Departmental Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the percentage turnover of staff was in his Department in  (a) the last 12-month period and  (b) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: In the period February 2006 to January 2007, 202 staff have joined and 653 staff have left my Department. 252 staff joined and 354 left in the following 12 month period to January 2008. Information about turnover rates is not available in the form requested.

Departmental Logos

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost was of introducing his Department's new logo; what the reasons were for the decision to change his Department's logo; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: We now have a version of the Department's logo which features a rainbow. This cost 5,460 (excluding VAT) to introduce.
	The logo is intended to make a quick visual link between DCSF and the Children's Plan, which itself uses a rainbow illustration to convey the principle of 'building brighter futures'.

Departmental Logos

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the reasons were for the choice of the new logo featuring a rainbow for his Department; how many alternative logos were designed before the choice was made; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: We now have a version of the Department's logo which features a rainbow. This is intended to make a quick visual link between DCSF and the Children's Plan, which itself uses a rainbow illustration to convey the principle of 'building brighter futures'.
	We commissioned three options for this logo, one of which was chosen as the final design.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the response given on 6 December,  Official Report, column 1369W.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list the special advisers employed in his Department and its predecessor since 6 May 1997; and what the  (a) start and  (b) end date of employment was in each case.

Kevin Brennan: I refer my hon. Member to the reply given on 16 January 2008  Official Report, column 1269W.

Departmental NDPBs

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

Kevin Brennan: The Department is responsible for eight Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and three Advisory NDPBs. Details of the budget and remit of each NDPB, the name of the chairman and their remuneration is published in the Department's Annual Report 2007 and in Public Bodies 2007, which are available on my Department's website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/pdfs/deptreport2007. pdf
	and
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ndpb/
	The following NDPBs are the responsibility of the Department for Children, Schools and Families:
	British Educational Communications and Technology Agency;
	Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service;
	Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy;
	National College for School Leadership;
	Office of the Children's Commissioner;
	Partnerships for Schools;
	Qualifications and Curriculum Authority;
	School Food Trust;
	School Teachers Review Body;
	Teachers' TV Board of Governors;
	Training and Development Agency for Schools.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Count  Cost () 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 December 2004 2,437 1715488.74 
			 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005 2,383 2202508.58 
			 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006 2,064 2235833.43 
			 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 2,499 2595262.10 
		
	
	Information for previous years is not held.

Departmental Publications

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what public information booklets were published by his Department in 2007; and what the  (a) print run and  (b) cost to the Department was in each case.

Kevin Brennan: This information would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time equivalent staff are responsible for brand management and marketing in his Department and its agencies.

Kevin Brennan: The Department currently has one full-time corporate brand and publications manager, and 16.7 full-time equivalent staff working across a wide range of marketing functions. Information about staffing in arms length bodies is not held centrally.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department, its predecessors and its agencies spent on staff working on  (a) marketing and  (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: Due to a major recent reorganisation of how the Department handles its communications function, historical information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Department is currently spending an annual equivalent of 801,710 on staff working on marketing and 33,417 on staff working on branding.
	Information about staffing in arms length bodies is not held centrally.

Departmental Recruitment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the policy of British jobs for British workers will affect his Department's recruitment policy.

Kevin Brennan: The Department's recruitment policy will not be affected. Recruitment to the civil service on the grounds of nationality is statutorily based and supported by the Civil Service Commissioners Rules.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on recycling.

Kevin Brennan: The Department's environmental management systems ensure that our waste is managed in a responsible and legally compliant manner. We:
	Reduce the need to recycle and make recycling easier;
	Identify materials which may be reusable or recyclable;
	Feed back re-usable waste into the Department's own management systems;
	Re-use, recycle segregate and legally store and dispose of waste;
	Keep reviewing this policy to ensure if aligns with Government intent and adopt any new initiatives, where appropriate;
	Encourage the generation of new ideas by staff to improve our waste handling;
	Learn from our peers in the public sector and benchmark our progress; and
	Work with our recycling suppliers to develop more sustainable methods and reward innovation.
	In the Department's Sustainable Development in Government return for 2005/06 we were pleased to report 43 per cent. of our waste recycled and the 2010 target already met. The Departments return for 2006/07 is due for publication by the Sustainable Development Commission soon.

Departmental Responsibilities

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to undertake; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 3 December 2007
	 To provide a full breakdown of reviews, consultations and taskforces for which the Department is responsible would incur disproportionate cost. The consultations currently being carried out by the Department's central consultation unit are as follows:
	
		
			  Consultation/ review name  Summary/purpose  Start date  End date 
			 Childcare Act 2006 Future Approach to Fees and Subsidies Seeks views on the proposed structure and level of fees payable to Ofsted by child care providers joining the Early Years Register or compulsory part of the Ofsted Childcare Register from September 2008 as well as proposals for changes to the subsidy arrangements. 21 November 2007 20 February 2008 
			 
			 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: Independent Safeguarding Authority Scheme Consultation The implementation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority scheme, under the terms of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 will introduce the most stringent vetting and barring service yet. The scheme will protect both children and vulnerable adults by preventing those who are known to pose a risk of harm accessing these groups through their work. The consultation seeks views on a wide range of policy issues that will ensure the successful implementation of the Act. This consultation is jointly published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Home Office, and the Department of Health. 14 November 2007 20 February 2008 
			 
			 Draft Guidance To Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords On The Use of Parenting Orders and Parenting Contracts This consultation seeks views on the draft guidance on the use of parenting orders and contracts by Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords in respect of antisocial behaviour. 16 November 2007 15 February 2008 
			 Confidence in Standards: Regulating and Developing Qualifications and Assessment Consultation on proposals to establish an independent regulator of qualifications and tests in England 17 December 2007 10 March 2008 
			 
			 Home Access to Technology This consultation seeks views on the proposed Home Access programme that aims to ensure every family with 5 to 19-year-old learners in England has access to learning where and when they need it through access to ICT resources and support at home. 9 January 2008 2 April 2008 
			 
			 Call for evidenceYouth Sector Support arrangements To consult those working for the benefit of young people about how to improve the capacity, coherence and quality of support arrangements for youth sector professionals, volunteers and organisations. 11 January 2008 9 April 2008 
			 
			 Independent School Inspectorates This consultation covers proposed future arrangements and criteria for appointing inspectorates other than Ofsted to inspect independent schools 21 January 2008 14 April 2008 
			 
			 Get Cooking campaign In conjunction with his announcement that from 2011, every 11 to 14-year-old will be given, hands-on lessons in how to cook cheap, healthy dishes from simple, fresh ingredients, Ed Balls asked people to e-mail suggestions for simple, healthy recipes which young people could learn to cook. 22 January 2008 1 March 2008

Departmental Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list the  (a) special advisers and  (b) Ministerial appointees in possession of a security pass enabling access to his Department's main building in the month prior to the prorogation of Parliament for the 2005 general election.

Kevin Brennan: It is established practice not to provide details on pass access to Government buildings for security reasons.

Departmental Sick Leave

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of working days lost by his Department's staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The percentage of working days lost by my Department's staff attributed to stress-related conditions during the six months from July to December amount to 15 per cent. of all working days lost due to sickness absence. The Department was set up as part of the Machinery of Government changes on 28 June 2007, so the percentage is based on figures from 1 July to 31 December 2007 (the latest information available).
	The Department is committed to providing a safe working environment and has put in place a range of measures to support managers and employees on health and wellbeing issues, including the provision of professional counselling and support from the Department's Employee Assistance Provider, Right Corecare. The Department has piloted a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Stress Questionnaire in one part of the organisation and conducted Individual Stress Risk Assessments for employees who require them. It will shortly be launching a comprehensive Stress Prevention Policy, based on HSE Management Standards.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency.

Kevin Brennan: The Department was established in June 2007. The average hourly rate paid by my Department to employment agencies for agency staff in the financial year 2007-08 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average hourly charge rate 
			   
			  Grade  Adecco  Hays  Reed 
			 AA(1) 8.65   
			 AO(1) 10.64   
			 EA(1)  8.48 9.86 
			 EO 14.42 15.49 12.13 
			 Personal Secretary 15.64   
			 Senior Personal Secretary 16.38   
			 HEO 18.82 20.45 14.82 
			 SEO  24.66 18.10 
			 (1) Grades AA and AO have now been replaced by EA.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by his Department and its predecessor in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The number of vehicles owned and purchased by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and its predecessor is as follows and is subject to a statutory disposal schedule of seven years.
	
		
			   Vehicles owned  Vehicles purchased 
			 2000-01 75 9 
			 2001-02 54 10 
			 2002-03 46 11 
			 2003-04 52 14 
			 2004-05 40 13 
			 2005-06 39 2 
			 2006 -07 32 0 
			 2007-08 9 0

Disabled: Computers

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department provided to young people with disabilities to assist them with learning to use computers in each year since 2001.

Kevin Brennan: Over 3.9 billion has been spent on technology in education since 2001. My Department does not disaggregate that figure for disability.

Employment Agencies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The Department was established on 28 June 2007. The costs paid to recruitment agencies for senior civil service (SCS) recruitment this financial year is 206,402.76. The costs for vacancies below SCS level are not recorded in the same way and figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Fair Trade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on the use of fair trade goods  (a) in staff catering facilities and  (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department has an agreement with our catering supplier that a selection of fair trade food and drink products shall be available throughout all their catering operations.

Family Group Conferencing

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to expand the use of family group conferencing.

Kevin Brennan: The Government recognise that Family Group Conferences (FGCs) can be important and useful mechanisms to assist decision making and planning around an individual child or children. While the use of FGCs is for local authorities or other agencies to determine in individual cases, the Government have taken steps to encourage their use where appropriate.
	The Government's statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children explains how FGCs can be used as part of systems to plan for children in need and to help in safeguarding children. It is clear that, where there are plans to use FGCs in situations where there are concerns about possible harm to a child, they should be developed and implemented under the auspices of the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
	FGCs are specifically commended in the revised Children Act 1989 Court Orders statutory guidance, published earlier this year, and included in the practice flowchart. In all applications for care proceedings, local authorities will be required to show what efforts have been made to enable the child to live with wider family and friends. An FGC would be an excellent means for a local authority to demonstrate how they have fulfilled this duty.
	An FGC is a complex service to provide and requires high levels of skill and competence. We have responded to concerns from stakeholders that there is a lack of skill and knowledge available in the field to deliver effective family group conference services. For this reason, we announced in Care Matters: Time for Change that we would fund a programme of regional training events to equip managers and practitioners with the necessary skills to develop and sustain the family group conference model.

Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many private fostering arrangements have been registered cumulatively in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: Information on notification of private fostering arrangements has been collected centrally only since 2004-05. The available information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of new private fostering arrangements that began during the year 
			 2006-07 1,420 
			 2005-06 1,100 
			 2004-05 630 
			  Notes: 1. Based on year ending 31 March. 2. Where a child has had more than one private fostering arrangement during the year, each arrangement has been counted. 3. Numbers rounded to the nearest 10. 4. These figures are based on the PF1 collection which was introduced in 2004/05; figures for earlier years are not available. 
		
	
	These figures have been taken from SFR 37/2007 'Private Fostering Arrangements in England, year ending 31 March 2007', which was published on 8 November 2007 and is available on the Department's website here:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000758/index. shtml

Health Education

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made on the introduction of well-being classes in schools.

Kevin Brennan: Schools have a statutory duty to promote pupils' well-being. An important contribution to this is developing pupils' social and emotional skills. To help schools do this, the Department is rolling out the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme, a comprehensive whole-school approach which includes a focus on school climate, learning opportunities for whole classes, learning and teaching approaches and continuing professional development for the whole staff of a school. Since the primary SEAL programme was launched in June 2005, over 60 per cent. of primary schools have started to implement SEAL, and we expect the first 15 to 20 per cent. of secondary schools to implement SEAL by July 2008. By July 2011, all schools will have had the opportunity to be supported to implement SEAL.

Health Education

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether schools that participated in the social and emotional aspects of learning programme showed an improvement on emotional well-being measures included in Ofsted TellUs surveys.

Kevin Brennan: The TellUs survey provides an indicator of the quality of children's services at national and local authority level. It cannot be used to measure the progress of individual schools participating in the SEAL programme.

Honours

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many members of the Senior Civil Service in his Department have received an honour.

Kevin Brennan: The Department records those individuals who have been considered for state and non state honour nominations by the Department and the outcomes. Our records show that there are eight senior civil servants in the Department for Children, Schools and Families who have received an honour.
	The Department does not routinely keep records on the numbers of awards held by individuals, or awards that are not related to official duties, or awards already held by staff before joining the Department, or the former Department for Education and Skills.

Institute of Education: Finance

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid from public funds in each of the last five years to the Institute of Education.

Kevin Brennan: Details of the amount paid to the Institute of Education by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in each of the last five financial years are set out as follows:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2003-04 7,643,724.08 
			 2004-05 11,597,487.50 
			 2005-06 7,741,306.91 
			 2006-07 7,662,021.35 
			 2007 to 31 January 2008 6,541,994.12 
		
	
	The expenditure relates to payments recorded in the Department's Integrated Financial Information System and credited against the Institute of Education. The expenditure recorded for financial years 2003 to 2007 covers both the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The expenditure recorded for 2007 to 31 January 2008 also includes the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established under Machinery of Government changes on 28 June 2007. This response only relates to those areas of responsibility held by its predecessor the Department for Education and Skills. To extract details of expenditure solely relating to DIUS would incur disproportionate cost.

Learning Disability: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children entered moderate learning difficulty schools in Essex in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 30 January 2008
	Data on the number of children who entered a moderate learning difficulty school in Essex in each of the last five years are not collected and could be derived only at a disproportionate cost.

Overseas Students

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list in tabular form by each UK university the proportion of post-graduate students who are from  (a) the UK,  (b) the EEA and  (c) the rest of the world; and what assessment he has made of trends in such figures over the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 13 November 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The available information is given in the table. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.
	Over the last 10 years, there has been significant growth in the overall number of students from all domiciles undertaking post-graduate studies in the UK. The trend has been for the proportion of post-graduate students from overseas to increase in relation to UK domiciled students. There has been a smaller increase in the proportion of post-graduate students from the European economic area (EEA).
	
		
			  Postgraduate  e nrolments at UK higher education institutions, by domicile( 1) , 2005/06 
			Percentage 
			  Higher education institution  Total  UK  EEA( 2)  (excluding the UK)  Other overseas 
			  English Institutions 454,435 68.4 9.0 22.7 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 3,930 80.3 7.5 12.2 
			 Aston University 2,410 55.6 11.9 32.5 
			 Bath Spa University 2,300 97.7 1.2 1.2 
			 Birkbeck College 3,540 87.0 5.0 8.0 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 440 19.4 11.9 68.7 
			 Bishop Grosseteste College 515 99.4 0.6 0.0 
			 Bournemouth University 2,575 45.5 10.9 43.6 
			 Brunel University 5,000 51.9 17.8 30.3 
			 Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College 565 78.9 3.9 17.2 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 3,210 93.7 2.2 4.1 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 370 78.5 8.1 13.4 
			 City University 9,260 61.0 15.1 23.9 
			 College of St. Mark and St. John 1,570 95.7 1.6 2.7 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 50 64.0 22.0 14.0 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 255 53.5 15.6 30.9 
			 Coventry University 2,835 58.2 11.2 30.6 
			 Cranfield University 4,075 56.0 24.7 19.3 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts 40 100.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Dartington College of Arts 100 73.3 11.9 14.9 
			 De Montfort University 3,670 81.5 5.1 13.4 
			 Edge Hill University 4,785 98.7 1.0 0.3 
			 Goldsmiths College 2,585 72.1 12.5 15.4 
			 Harper Adams University College 95 69.1 8.2 22.7 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 4,570 55.7 19.8 24.5 
			 Institute of Education 7,000 84.2 5.2 10.6 
			 King's College London 7,005 69.6 12.6 17.9 
			 Kingston University 4,670 75.3 7.1 17.7 
			 Leeds College of Music 10 90.0 10.0 0.0 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 4,330 78.3 4.8 16.9 
			 Liverpool Hope University 1,990 70.3 7.7 22.1 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 4,180 77.4 5.8 16.8 
			 London Business School 1,455 34.3 18.1 47.6 
			 London Metropolitan University 7,235 59.9 11.4 28.7 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 4,950 22.3 26.8 50.8 
			 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 975 44.4 14.7 41.0 
			 London South Bank University 5,205 73.0 6.4 20.7 
			 Loughborough University 5,715 55.6 8.2 36.2 
			 Middlesex University 5,545 56.1 6.5 37.4 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 365 95.1 4.9 0.0 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 95 95.9 3.1 1.0 
			 Oxford Brookes University 5,015 74.0 6.9 19.2 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 3,055 51.0 13.3 35.7 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 35 35.1 10.8 54.1 
			 Roehampton University 1,725 75.9 10.7 13.3 
			 Rose Bruford College 55 64.2 13.2 22.6 
			 Royal Academy of Music 420 52.3 19.1 28.6 
			 Royal Agricultural College 255 65.6 3.1 31.3 
			 Royal College of Art 850 59.9 25.0 15.1 
			 Royal College of Music 265 47.2 25.7 27.2 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 2,135 62.1 11.4 26.5 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 210 49.0 16.7 34.3 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 7,105 76.2 5.1 18.7 
			 Southampton Solent University 755 68.2 5.3 26.5 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 565 86.4 4.8 8.8 
			 St. Martin's College 3,270 96.1 3.0 0.9 
			 St. Mary's College 840 84.5 13.0 2.5 
			 Staffordshire University 3,370 64.7 5.3 30.0 
			 Thames Valley University 1,990 83.8 2.9 13.4 
			 The Arts Institute at Bournemouth 25 100.0 0.0 0.0 
			 The Institute of Cancer Research 235 64.8 15.0 20.2 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 5,995 87.1 4.2 8.7 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 5,895 84.0 4.4 11.6 
			 The Open University 17,465 99.7 0.0 0.3 
			 The Royal College of Nursing 185 97.8 0.5 1.6 
			 The Royal Veterinary College 395 67.5 16.1 16.4 
			 The School of Oriental and African Studies 2,095 44.8 18.1 37.1 
			 The School of Pharmacy 625 79.4 7.5 13.1 
			 The University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury 220 53.2 18.0 28.8 
			 The University of Bath 5,025 56.7 13.1 30.2 
			 The University of Birmingham 11,960 66.7 7.5 25.8 
			 The University of Bolton 1,695 80.4 2.2 17.4 
			 The University of Bradford 4,135 47.0 9.8 43.1 
			 The University of Brighton 4,450 77.6 9.6 12.8 
			 The University of Bristol 7,785 67.5 9.6 23.0 
			 The University of Buckingham 195 33.3 8.7 57.9 
			 The University of Cambridge 9,170 58.7 12.9 28.4 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 4,175 77.5 4.4 18.1 
			 The University of Chichester 1,615 92.4 5.5 2.1 
			 The University of East Anglia 3,620 66.9 8.4 24.7 
			 The University of East London 5,195 73.2 7.0 19.8 
			 The University of Essex 2,900 38.9 19.8 41.3 
			 The University of Exeter 4,620 61.7 10.7 27.6 
			 The University of Greenwich 6,700 68.5 4.8 26.6 
			 The University of Huddersfield 3,555 82.7 3.5 13.8 
			 The University of Hull 4,125 61.6 8.1 30.2 
			 The University of Keele 3,260 72.9 6.1 21.0 
			 The University of Kent 4,525 74.8 8.8 16.4 
			 The University of Lancaster 3,610 64.2 11.4 24.4 
			 The University of Leeds 8,900 60.7 8.3 31.0 
			 The University of Leicester 6,495 67.2 6.2 26.5 
			 The University of Lincoln 1,565 77.3 7.3 15.3 
			 The University of Liverpool 3,700 63.7 8.1 28.2 
			 The University of Manchester 11,075 64.2 9.4 26.4 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 5,410 53.4 11.0 35.6 
			 The University of Northampton 1,455 75.3 1.6 23.1 
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 5,635 66.1 4.6 29.3 
			 The University of Nottingham 7,945 56.4 10.0 33.6 
			 The University of Oxford 7,970 44.0 15.6 40.4 
			 The University of Plymouth 5,415 88.3 4.7 7.0 
			 The University of Portsmouth 4,095 64.1 12.2 23.6 
			 The University of Reading 4,025 66.6 11.3 22.1 
			 The University of Salford 4,035 70.0 7.0 23.0 
			 The University of Sheffield 7,300 60.2 8.6 31.2 
			 The University of Southampton 7,145 64.7 11.4 23.8 
			 The University of Sunderland 3,035 57.7 10.1 32.2 
			 The University of Surrey 6,225 52.5 16.8 30.8 
			 The University of Sussex 3,300 61.5 13.3 25.2 
			 The University of Teesside 2,325 85.6 5.2 9.2 
			 The University of Warwick 10,050 56.5 12.7 30.8 
			 The University of Westminster 7,355 63.1 11.3 25.5 
			 The University of Winchester 1,240 97.3 1.5 1.3 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 4,310 74.6 3.7 21.6 
			 The University of Worcester 1,440 96.3 1.3 2.4 
			 The University of York 4,195 56.3 12.2 31.5 
			 Trinity and All Saints College 350 93.1 3.2 3.7 
			 Trinity Laban 245 64.5 19.6 15.9 
			 University College Falmouth 205 86.5 6.3 7.2 
			 University College London 9,650 58.8 16.2 25.0 
			 University of Bedfordshire 1,735 42.7 10.2 47.0 
			 University of Central England in Birmingham 4,090 84.5 2.7 12.8 
			 University of Chester 2,845 93.3 3.4 3.3 
			 University of Derby 2,515 88.1 3.8 8.1 
			 University of Durham 5,295 64.2 8.2 27.6 
			 University of Gloucestershire 1,680 88.6 3.3 8.1 
			 University of Hertfordshire 4,340 63.9 3.8 32.3 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 350 56.0 17.5 26.4 
			 University of the Arts, London 2,250 59.2 15.4 25.4 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 5,475 85.2 4.9 9.9 
			 Wimbledon School of Art 85 82.1 8.3 9.5 
			 York St John University College 830 97.3 0.7 1.9 
			  
			  Welsh Institutions 25,275 70.5 7.7 21.8 
			 Cardiff University 7,450 65.0 8.9 26.2 
			 Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 125 79.0 8.9 12.1 
			 Swansea Institute of Higher Education 1,185 93.6 4.5 1.9 
			 The North-East Wales Institute of Higher Education 435 74.7 7.1 18.2 
			 The University of Wales, Lampeter 1,695 61.0 12.9 26.1 
			 The University of Wales, Newport 1,850 89.0 1.8 9.1 
			 Trinity College, Carmarthen 410 96.8 1.2 2.0 
			 University of Glamorgan 2,925 71.5 6.8 21.7 
			 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 2,330 60.9 2.6 36.5 
			 University of Wales, Aberystwyth 2,570 67.1 13.7 19.2 
			 University of Wales, Bangor 1,835 78.7 8.4 12.9 
			 University of Wales, Swansea 2,470 68.8 6.8 24.4 
			  
			  Scottish Institutions 53,985 67.5 8.7 23.8 
			 Bell College 150 100.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Edinburgh College of Art 365 43.3 19.5 37.3 
			 Glasgow Caledonian University 3,375 77.8 5.6 16.6 
			 Glasgow School of Art 260 61.4 15.8 22.8 
			 Heriot-Watt University 4,620 58.4 13.3 28.3 
			 Napier University 3,165 66.7 8.9 24.4 
			 Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh 1,100 74.5 11.8 13.7 
			 Scottish Agricultural College 75 79.2 14.3 6.5 
			 The Robert Gordon University 3,975 53.4 7.4 39.2 
			 The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama 120 58.2 19.7 22.1 
			 The University of Aberdeen 3,660 67.7 8.3 23.9 
			 The University of Dundee 5,535 67.1 6.4 26.5 
			 The University of Edinburgh 6,585 63.4 13.0 23.6 
			 The University of Glasgow 4,785 70.3 8.0 21.7 
			 The University of Paisley 1,635 78.7 6.8 14.5 
			 The University of St Andrews 1,885 44.8 14.8 40.4 
			 The University of Stirling 2,030 66.1 7.3 26.6 
			 The University of Strathclyde 9,765 79.5 5.6 14.9 
			 UHI Millennium Institute 275 94.1 1.8 4.0 
			 University of Abertay Dundee 635 37.9 7.7 54.4 
			  
			  Northern Irish Institutions 11,670 75.1 16.2 8.7 
			 St. Mary's University College 120 97.5 2.5 0.0 
			 Stranmillis University College 160 96.8 3.2 0.0 
			 The Queen's University of Belfast 5,395 76.3 12.2 11.6 
			 University of Ulster 5,995 73.1 20.4 6.5 
			 (1) Domicile is the student's permanent residence prior to starting his or her course. (2) European Economic Area. Figures include Switzerland.  Note: Figures are on a standard registration population basis. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, percentages to the nearest 0.1 per cent.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record

Playgrounds: Capital Investment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much capital funding was allocated to playgrounds in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the north-east and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Government do not collect statistics on or otherwise monitor how much capital is spent on playgrounds by local authorities. We do not separately identify individual capital grants that finance capital expenditure. Only the total used to finance expenditure in a year is collected.
	In the Children's Plan, we recently announced 190 million capital funding to be spent on open-access, free play environments. Every local authority in England will receive funding by 2010-11. In addition, local authorities already receive substantial funding to support maintenance of public space. BIG lottery has just invested 124 million to 2010-11 to support play in local authorities.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding was provided to each local education authority to provide free nursery education for three and four-year-olds in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06 as part of the under-fives sub-block of authorities' education formula spending; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: In 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 local authorities received funding to provide free nursery education for three and four-year-olds through the under-fives sub-block of their education formula spending (EFS). The funding figures broken down by local authority are as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			   Funding through EFS under five block 
			  LA name  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barking and Dagenham 15.1 15.4 16.0 
			 Barnet 21.5 22.4 24.9 
			 Barnsley 12.3 12.4 13.2 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 8.9 8.9 9.6 
			 Bedfordshire 23.2 23.7 26.2 
			 Bexley 15.0 15.6 17.2 
			 Birmingham 80.4 83.0 90.6 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 11.8 12.1 13.1 
			 Blackpool 8.7 8.6 9.3 
			 Bolton 18.1 18.8 20.4 
			 Bournemouth 8.1 8.4 8.5 
			 Bracknell Forest 6.3 6.7 7.1 
			 Bradford 36.0 38.2 43.0 
			 Brent 20.7 21.7 23.4 
			 Brighton and Hove 12.7 13.2 13.8 
			 Bristol, City of 23.8 23.5 26.2 
			 Bromley 20.0 20.4 21.8 
			 Buckinghamshire 27.7 29.6 32.5 
			 Bury 11.3 11.8 12.7 
			 Calderdale 13.2 13.6 14.9 
			 Cambridgeshire 31.4 32.6 35.2 
			 Camden 14.4 15.8 17.1 
			 Cheshire 37.7 38.3 41.7 
			 City of London 0.2 0.3 0.3 
			 Cornwall 23.8 25.0 27.0 
			 Coventry 20.2 20.4 22.3 
			 Croydon 25.0 25.6 27.1 
			 Cumbria 26.2 26.5 28.6 
			 Darlington 6.4 6.5 7.1 
			 Derby 15.5 16.2 18.0 
			 Derbyshire 41.6 42.8 45.8 
			 Devon 35.2 34.6 39.8 
			 Doncaster 18.5 18.9 18.7 
			 Dorset 18.2 18.7 19.7 
			 Dudley 18.8 19.0 20.9 
			 Durham 28.8 29.4 31.0 
			 Ealing 23.4 24.7 26.7 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 16.2 16.8 17.8 
			 East Sussex 25.5 25.8 27.6 
			 Enfield 22.0 23.0 24.4 
			 Essex 76.8 78.9 85.3 
			 Gateshead 11.6 11.8 12.4 
			 Gloucestershire 31.2 32.3 34.9 
			 Greenwich 20.5 21.5 23.2 
			 Hackney 22.3 23.6 26.4 
			 Halton 8.1 8.3 8.8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 11.6 12.8 4.1 
			 Hampshire 73.1 74.8 80.4 
			 Haringey 20.3 21.0 21.6 
			 Harrow 14.4 14.7 15.7 
			 Hartlepool 6.1 6.2 7.0 
			 Havering 14.2 14.9 15.8 
			 Herefordshire 9.1 9.4 10.0 
			 Hertfordshire 69.4 71.8 75.2 
			 Hillingdon 18.9 20.0 21.9 
			 Hounslow 17.0 16.9 18.6 
			 Isle of Wight 7.2 7.3 7.9 
			 Isles of Scilly 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Islington 16.9 17.7 19.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 9.3 10.4 11.1 
			 Kent 82.2 84.5 90.5 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 16.6 16.6 16.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 9.0 9.6 10.2 
			 Kirklees 26.8 28.4 29.7 
			 Knowsley 12.2 12.0 12.9 
			 Lambeth 24.5 25.3 27.0 
			 Lancashire 67.0 68.2 73.6 
			 Leeds 43.0 44.1 47.3 
			 Leicester 21.8 22.8 24.2 
			 Leicestershire 32.5 33.8 37.3 
			 Lewisham 23.2 23.4 25.5 
			 Lincolnshire 34.8 36.7 39.4 
			 Liverpool 31.1 30.9 32.8 
			 Luton 14.5 15.6 16.7 
			 Manchester 32.2 33.1 35.8 
			 Medway 16.6 6.7 17.7 
			 Merton 12.5 12.9 14.6 
			 Middlesbrough 10.1 10.4 11.1 
			 Milton Keynes 13.1 15.8 17.5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 16.3 16.2 17.1 
			 Newham 29.6 30.2 32.6 
			 Norfolk 41.2 42.8 45.7 
			 North East Lincolnshire 10.1 10.0 11.4 
			 North Lincolnshire 9.1 9.2 9.8 
			 North Somerset 9.7 10.5 11.4 
			 North Tyneside 11.4 11.8 12.3 
			 North Yorkshire 30.0 30.3 32.4 
			 Northamptonshire 39.8 40.9 44.0 
			 Northumberland 16.9 17.4 18.8 
			 Nottingham 17.3 17.9 18.9 
			 Nottinghamshire 37.4 38.3 41.0 
			 Oldham 16.7 17.2 19.1 
			 Oxfordshire 31.1 32.6 35.2 
			 Peterborough 11.6 11.9 12.9 
			 Plymouth 14.4 14.5 15.3 
			 Poole 6.9 6.8 7.4 
			 Portsmouth 11.7 11.7 12.3 
			 Reading 7.9 8.0 9.3 
			 Redbridge 18.7 19.2 20.6 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 8.7 8.8 9.4 
			 Richmond upon Thames 9.6 10.7 12.0 
			 Rochdale 15.1 15.6 16.5 
			 Rotherham 16.4 16.8 18.0 
			 Rutland 1.7 1.9 2.1 
			 Salford 14.8 14.9 15.7 
			 Sandwell 21.0 21.7 23.6 
			 Sefton 16.5 16.5 17.4 
			 Sheffield 31.6 32.7 34.9 
			 Shropshire 13.6 13.6 14.7 
			 Slough 9.4 9.6 10.4 
			 Solihull 12.5 13.0 13.9 
			 Somerset 27.1 27.8 29.1 
			 South Gloucestershire 15.2 15.5 16.4 
			 South Tyneside 9.4 9.4 10.0 
			 Southampton 13.2 14.8 13.8 
			 Southend-on-Sea 10.3 11.2 11.9 
			 Southwark 26.3 27.2 28.8 
			 St. Helens 11.0 11.4 12.1 
			 Staffordshire 45.1 46.0 48.8 
			 Stockport 16.7 16.8 18.0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 11.7 11.8 13.1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 15.3 15.1 16.6 
			 Suffolk 34.2 34.6 37.0 
			 Sunderland 17.4 17.7 18.7 
			 Surrey 60.3 65.0 69.9 
			 Sutton 10.0 12.3 13.2 
			 Swindon 11.5 12.0 13.0 
			 Tameside 13.8 14.0 15.3 
			 Telford and Wrekin 10.1 11.4 12.1 
			 Thurrock 9.9 10.5 11.1 
			 Torbay 6.7 7.1 7.6 
			 Tower Hamlets 24.4 26.1 28.4 
			 Trafford 12.9 13.1 14.7 
			 Wakefield 17.8 18.4 20.4 
			 Walsall 17.8 18.8 20.6 
			 Waltham Forest 17.2 18.2 19.5 
			 Wandsworth 20.7 21.9 23.9 
			 Warrington 11.8 12.1 13.3 
			 Warwickshire 28.9 30.1 32.4 
			 West Berkshire 8.0 8.4 9.7 
			 West Sussex 40.4 41.9 45.8 
			 Westminster 13.0 13.8 15.1 
			 Wigan 18.3 18.3 20.1 
			 Wiltshire 25.2 25.9 28.8 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 7.3 7.4 8.5 
			 Wirral 19.6 19.7 21.2 
			 Wokingham 8.0 7.9 8.9 
			 Wolverhampton 16.9 17.3 18.6 
			 Worcestershire 29.6 30.7 33.1 
			 York 9.1 9.1 10.1 
			 Total 3,106.4 3,208.1 3,456.7 
			  Notes: 1. Price base: cash. 2. All figures include the pensions transfer to EFS. 3. These figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. 
		
	
	Education formula spending was not ring-fenced, so funding for education (including the notional under-fives funding) could be spent on other sectors and vice versa.

Primary Education: Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department has collected on the number of fixed period exclusions from primary schools in 2005-06; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Kevin Brennan: Prior to 2005-06 information on fixed period exclusions was collected via the Termly Exclusions Survey. For the 2005-06 academic year the collection of fixed period exclusions data was transferred to the School Census, which is collected termly, and the Termly Exclusions Survey discontinued. For the 2005-6 academic year the new termly School Census was completed by secondary schools only. This does present a gap in the information collected from primary schools on fixed period exclusions. For the 2006-07 academic year primary schools will make School Census returns termly and information on fixed period exclusions will be available.
	Information published as SFR 21/07, Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England 2005-6, has been placed in the Library.

Primary Education: Truancy

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of primary school pupils took unauthorised absence in primary schools with  (a) fewer than and  (b) more than 100 pupils in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The latest available absence rates relate to autumn term 2006 and spring term 2007 and are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools( 1) , pupil absence by number of enrolments: autumn term 2006 and spring term 2007 
			Percentage of half days missed( 2) 
			   Number of pupil enrolments( 3)   Authorised absence  Unauthorised absence  Overall absence 
			 Schools with less than 100 pupil enrolments(2) 230,420 4.70 0.31 5.01 
			 Schools with 100 or more pupil enrolments(2) 3,197,960 4.74 0.54 5.27 
			 All primary schools 3,428,390 4.73 0.52 5.26 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) The number of sessions missed due to authorised/unauthorised/overall absence expressed as a percentage of the total. (3 )Number of pupil enrolments in primary schools between 1 September 2006 and 9 April 2007. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school.  Source:  School Census

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils received a fixed period exclusion from schools with  (a) more and  (b) fewer than 2,000 pupils in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of secondary school pupils received a fixed period exclusion from schools with fewer than 1,000 pupils in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The available information showing numbers of fixed period exclusions is shown in the table. It should be noted that some pupils will have more than one episode of fixed period exclusion.
	
		
			  All secondary schools ( 1,2) Number of fixed period exclusions by size of school2005/06 
			   Number of fixed period exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 3) 
			  Size of school: ( 4)   
			 Up to 1,000 pupils 153,021 12.31 
			 Between 1,000 and 2,000 pupils 190,573 9.65 
			 Over 2,000 pupils 3,557 7.89 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes Local Authority Maintained secondary schools, City Technology Colleges and Academies. (3) The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January 2006. (4) Based on headcount of pupils as at January 2006, excludes dual registrations.  Source:  School Census

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals had been excluded from school in the previous year in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many pupils in each constituency have been given  (a) permanent and  (b) fixed period exclusions in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupil Exclusions: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional funding has been allocated since June 2007 to support head teachers in exercising their function of excluding pupils.

Kevin Brennan: Since September 2007 schools and local authorities have been required to arrange suitable full-time education from the sixth day of any period of exclusion. We made 9.3 million available in 2007-08 (to cover seven months) and 16 million from 2008-09 within the dedicated schools grant.

Pupil Exclusions: Offensive Weapons

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) permanent and  (b) fixed term exclusions occurred due to (i) possession of and (ii) violence involving (A) knives and (B) firearms in school in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils who were permanently excluded had special educational needs in each year since 2001.

Kevin Brennan: The available information is shown in the table:
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2) : Number of permanent exclusions by special educational needs (SEN), England, 1997-98 to 2005=06 (estimates)( 3) 
			   Permanent exclusions 
			   Number of exclusions  Percentage of permanent exclusions( 4)  Percentage of school population( 5) 
			 2000-01(3)
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 810 9 0.33 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN(6) 8,330 91 0.11 
			 All pupils 9,140 100 0.12 
			 
			 2001-02(3)
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 1.140 12 0.48 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN(6) 8,400 88 0.11 
			 Of which:
			 SEN pupils without statements 4,700 49 0.35 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,700 39 0.06 
			 All pupils 9,540 100 0.12 
			 
			 2002-03(3)
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 1,030 11 0.43 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN(6) 8,260 89 0.11 
			 Of which:
			 SEN pupils without statements 5,140 55 0.46 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,120 34 0.05 
			 All pupils 9,290 100 0.12 
			 
			 2003-04(3)
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 1,040 11 0.44 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN(6) 8,840 89 0.12 
			 Of which:
			 SEN pupils without statements 5,240 53 0.46 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,600 36 0.06 
			 All pupils 9,880 100 0.13 
			 
			 2004-05(3)
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 850 9 0.37 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN(6) 8,590 91 0.12 
			 Of which:
			 SEN pupils without statements 4,620 49 0.40 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,970 42 0.06 
			 All pupils(7) 9,440 100 0.12 
			 
			 2005-06(3)
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 880 10 0.39 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN(6) 8,280 90 0.11 
			 Of which:
			 SEN pupils without statements 5,280 58 0.43 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,000 33 0.05 
			 All pupils(8) 9,170 100 0.12 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. (3) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data. See Notes to Editors 4. (4) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the total number of permanent exclusions. (5) The number of excluded pupils by SEN stage expressed as a percentage of all pupils with the same SEN stage in primary, secondary and all special schools (excludes dually registered pupils) in January. (6) The introduction of the new SEN Code of Practice means that the number of children with SEN without statements reported in 2000/01 and later are not directly comparable with earlier years. Includes pupils with no SEN and pupils with SEN without statements. See Notes to Editors 6. (7) There was one permanent exclusion for which stage of SEN was not knownthis was included in total for 'all pupils' only. (8) There were 17 permanent exclusion for which stage of SEN was not knownthese were included in total for 'all pupils' only.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Intimidation

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has commissioned on methods used in different schools to tackle bullying; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of different methods of preventing bullying; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle the causes of bullying in schools.

Kevin Brennan: The Department has taken a wide range of measures to tackle the causes of bullying and is providing around 1.7 million for anti-bullying programmes this year. Through the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme, we are developing skills in pupils including empathy, a sense of social responsibility and assertiveness which directly contribute to a school climate in which bullying cannot thrive.
	Prevention is also a key theme of the guidance entitled Safe to Learn: Embedding Anti-Bullying Work in Schools which we issued in September 2007. This includes specific advice on homophobic bullying and cyberbullying, and links to guidance on bullying around racism, religion and culture that we issued in 2006. We are currently preparing further advice on how to prevent and tackle the bullying of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
	We have placed a legal duty on head teachers to determine measures to promote good behaviour, respect for others and to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils as part of their overall behaviour policy. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 also provides head teachers with the power, to such extent as is reasonable, to regulate the conduct of pupils when they are off-site or not under the control or charge of a member of staff.
	We have issued the Anti-Bullying Charter, which includes a detailed list of questions for the school community to consider when formulating its anti-bullying policy. We have worked with and funded a number of partners, including the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), who arrange the annual Anti-Bullying Week and provide a range of advice and support to local authorities; ParentLine Plus, who run a helpline for parents whose children are being bullied and provide other resources through their 'Be Someone to Tell' campaign; and ChildLine in Partnership with Schools (CHIPS) who currently run peer mentoring schemes for the Department. We also fund awards for anti-bullying work as part of the Princess Diana Memorial Awards scheme.
	We have asked the National Strategies and Anti-Bullying Alliance to work with schools and local authorities to ensure the guidance is effectively implemented on the ground and we are monitoring this very closely. We have also asked the National Strategies to provide challenge and support to those schools which have been identified as weak or ineffective in their approach to dealing with bullying.
	My Department has gone out to tender on research into the effectiveness of anti-bullying strategies. This should help inform any further development of Government policy in this area as well as helping schools decide which anti-bullying strategies are most effective in a range of circumstances. Our partners in the Anti-Bullying Alliance, and the National Strategies work at a local level to advise schools on their anti-bullying policies and monitor the implementation of the various anti-bullying strategies.

Schools: Crime

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what definition of a school-specific offence his Department uses; and if he will list those school-specific offences recognised by his Department.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not use any particular definition of a school-specific offence. If 'school-specific offence' means an offence created by or under the Education Acts in relation to schools, or an offence framed by reference to schools, the offences listed as follows would seem to be relevant in relation to England. References are to sections of the Acts mentioned unless otherwise stated.
	 Education Act 1996
	336(5) (failure to comply with requirement imposed by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal in respect of the discovery or inspection of documents or giving of evidence)
	434(6) (contravention or failure to comply with any requirement imposed by regulations on registration of pupils)
	443(1) (failure of parent to comply with the requirements of school attendance order)
	444(1) (failure of parent to secure regular attendance at school of registered pupil)
	444(1A) (knowing failure of parent to secure regular attendance at school of registered pupil)
	506(2) (failure of parent of pupil to present pupil for examination by medical practitioner in accordance with notice)
	525(1) (neglecting the cleanliness of pupil)
	547(1) (causing or permitting nuisance or disturbance to the annoyance of persons who lawfully use school premises)
	559(3) (employing child in contravention of prohibition or restriction imposed by local education authority or for failure to provide the authority with information for the purpose of ascertaining the circumstances of employment)
	323(5) and paragraph 5 of schedule 26 (failure of parent to comply with requirements of a notice served by local education authority considering whether to make an assessment of special educational needs)
	 Education Act 2002
	159(1) (conducting an independent school which is not a registered school)
	159(6) (wilfully obstructing the Chief Inspector in inspecting premises and taking copies of documents, in relation to offence of conducting an independent school which is not a registered school)
	162B(4) (intentionally obstructing a person in the exercise of his functions in relation to an inspection of a registered school)
	165(9) (failure of proprietor to comply with an order of registration authority requiring the proprietor to cease using part of the school premises, to close part of the school's operation or to cease to admit any new pupils)
	167(9) (failure of proprietor to comply with an order of Care Standards Tribunal requiring the proprietor to cease using part of the school premises, to close part of the school's operation or to cease to admit any new pupils)
	168(2) and regulation 10 Education (Provision of Information by Independent Schools) (England) Regulations 2003 (failure of proprietor to comply with requirement to provide a return within the first three months of operation, an annual return, to report the facts of a dismissal, or to provide information requested by the Secretary of State relevant to his function of prohibiting unsuitable persons from teaching)
	 Education Act 2005
	10(2) (obstructing the Chief Inspector in relation to the inspection of a school for the purposes of section 5 or 8)
	109(1) (non-permitted disclosure of information received about eligibility for education maintenance allowances relating to a particular person)
	111(1) (non-permitted disclosure of information received about tax credits and social security relating to a particular person)
	 Education and Inspections Act 2006
	103(3) (offence of parent where parent's child, an excluded pupil, is present in a public place at any time during school hours on one of first five days to which exclusion relates)
	 Criminal Justice Act 1998
	139A(1) (having bladed or sharply pointed article on school premises)
	139A(2) (having an offensive weapon on school premises)
	 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
	8(5) (acting as a member of the governing body of an educational institution for the provision of education to children, or a maintained nursery school, without being monitored in relation to regulated activity relating to children)

Schools: Procurement

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools took part in the pilot for the Online Procurement for Educational Needs system; how many orders were sent as part of the pilot; and what the cost of the system has been.

Kevin Brennan: OPENthe Online Procurement for Educational Needs system is the Department's e-procurement tool for schools that has been developed with and for schools to aid them in procuring their goods and services in one convenient location should they wish to use it.
	During the OPEN pathfinder phase, which when complete will have run for one year, a total of 463 schools from five areas of England generously took the time to support the development and functionality testing of the system:
	A group of Devon schools;
	East Sussex county council;
	e-Spi, a north west based consortium, hosted by Rochdale metropolitan borough council; and
	The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
	The aim of the pathfinder was to rigorously test the system for reliability, appropriateness, ease of use and integration with schools' financial management systems.
	During the period 15 March 2007 to 31 January 2008 a total of 630 orders were placed.
	OPEN is a development of, and operates on, the Zanzibar public sector e-procurement solution operated by OGCbuying.solutions which is available to the whole of the UK public sector. OPEN is the schools portal to this e-marketplace.
	The release of information relating to the amounts being paid to individual companies would prejudice commercial interests in this instance and could affect the Department's future negotiating position.

Schools: Procurement

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many invoices have been unsuccessfully submitted by schools under the electronic invoice system Online Procurement for Educational Needs.

Kevin Brennan: OPENthe Online Procurement for Educational Needs systemis the Department's e-procurement tool for schools that has been developed with and for schools to aid them in procuring their goods and services in one convenient location should they wish to use it.
	Schools do not submit invoices to OPEN, only fully authorised orders. Suppliers then receive the order via the supplier portal component of OPEN and can then raise an electronic invoice.
	These invoices are currently sent to schools via email. The option to import these invoices directly to the schools' financial management system is currently unavailable as part of the pathfinder phase, but the Department is in discussion with FMS providers regarding the integration of OPEN into future releases.
	Currently, in order to ascertain the number of orders unsuccessfully raised by schools, every school registered on OPEN would need to be contacted with a list of orders they had raised through OPEN, asked to provide the invoice numbers relating to those orders and then have these queried against the supplier portal (the area where suppliers transact with schools) to establish which had been created electronically.
	At this time, and with existing functionality, to capture information to this detail would be an unnecessary burden to schools in administrative time required to ensure that the data and cross checking are complete. Furthermore, this is not something that the pathfinder phase of OPEN intended to assess. However, EPC has been working with FMS providers regarding subsequent releases of their systems to facilitate upgrades that will allow a full audit trail for invoices.

Schools: Procurement

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the annual cost has been of his Department's Purchasing Team for the Online Procurement for Educational Needs (OPEN) system; and how much has been paid to  (a) PA Consulting and  (b) Proc Serve to establish the OPEN system in the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: OPENthe Online Procurement for Educational Needs system is the Department's e-procurement tool for schools that has been developed with and for schools to aid them in procuring their goods and services in one convenient location should they wish to use it.
	Due to the complexity of the project, the development requirements of the system, and the number of schools that potentially may wish to avail of it, a decision was taken to fund OPEN for three years, up to 2011. This is within CSR07 financial period and is usual for programmes of this nature.
	The OPEN system is based on the existing pan-Government platform Zanzibar which is provided by ProcServe. However, it was felt that this system would not be directly applicable to schools in its current format, hence the need to employ a consultancy with the specialist skills needed to support the development of this schools-focused solution.
	The cost of the OPEN system to the Department's Purchasing Team has been incurred under a pan-Government contract with OGC.bs.
	The cost of managing this contract, which has been running for 12 months, is 141,510.
	The release of information relating to the amounts being paid to individual companies would prejudice commercial interests in this instance and could affect the Department's future negotiating position.

Schools: Procurement

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of the suppliers to the Online Procurement for Educational Needs system had received orders by the end of January 2008.

Kevin Brennan: For the period 15 March 2007 to 31 January 2008; 77 different suppliers received orders placed by schools. As of 18 February 2008 729 suppliers are registered to use OPEN.
	In order for a greater number of transactions to take place, a greater number of schools' suppliers also need to be available on OPEN for them to transact with. As this was a pathfinder, limited resources were available to engage with the educational supplier marketplace and effort was concentrated on those suppliers nominated by schools that they usually traded with in the first instance.

Schools: Sports

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what survey data his Department has collected on the average time  (a) independent secondary and  (b) maintained secondary school pupils spend participating in sport each week; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The annual PE and School Sport Survey collects data relating to participation in PE and School Sport. The 2006/07 survey found that 80 per cent. of pupils at maintained secondary schools take part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week. No comparable figure is available for independent secondary schools.
	The Department supports the establishment of links between independent schools and School Sport Partnerships.

Schools: Sports

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and which schools in  (a) Southend and  (b) Essex have established links with a (i) football, (ii) cricket, (iii) rugby union, (iv) rugby league and (v) tennis club in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The annual PE and School Sport Survey was introduced in 2003/04 and collects data relating to participation in PE and School Sport. The number of schools linked to these clubs are as follows:
	
		
			   Level  2005/06  2006/07 
			  Southend
			 Cricket Primary 17 16 
			  Secondary 4 8 
			  Special 3 2 
			 
			 Football Primary 35 36 
			  Secondary 7 11 
			  Special 5 5 
			 
			 Rugby league(1) Primary 0 14 
			  Secondary 0 4 
			  Special 0 2 
			 
			 Rugby union(1) Primary 31 25 
			  Secondary 5 10 
			  Special 2 3 
			 
			 Tennis Primary 12 10 
			  Secondary 4 6 
			  Special 1 0 
			  Essex
			 Cricket Primary 137 261 
			  Secondary 47 62 
			  Special 2 5 
			 
			 Football Primary 213 360 
			  Secondary 48 68 
			  Special 7 15 
			 
			 Rugby league(1) Primary 4 56 
			  Secondary 3 6 
			  Special 0 0 
			 
			 Rugby union(1) Primary 91 137 
			  Secondary 47 65 
			  Special 0 4 
			 
			 Tennis Primary 109 166 
			  Secondary 21 38 
			  Special 1 5 
			 (1) The 2006/07 definition included 'tag rugby' for the first time. 
		
	
	Data prior to 2005/06 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Workers: Training

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the level of professional training available to social workers working in  (a) fostering and  (b) adoption services.

Kevin Brennan: The Government engaged widely with stakeholders and service users to understand how best to improve the capacity and training of social workers in the 'Options for Excellence Review' (2006). Building on these findings DCSF is investing over 63 million between 2008 and 2011 in this area and announced in the 'Children's Plan' (2007) commitments to improve support and training for all social workers working with children and families. This includes:
	piloting a newly qualified social work status offering guaranteed induction and support; building a professional development framework setting out the standards expected of all social workers at each point of their career including those working in specialist areas, such as adoption and fostering;
	investing in additional support to social work supervisors; and enhancing initial social work training so that it better equips social workers with the practical skills and knowledge to work with children and families across all areas, including adoption and fostering.
	More detail about these areas will be announced in the work force action plan due to be published early this year.
	The General Social Care Council (GSCC) requires all qualified social workers to undertake at least 15 days of professional development in a three-year period as a condition of their registration. In October 2007 GSCC introduced a new post-qualifying award for social workers specialising in children and families services to better equip them with the specialist skills needed in this area. The award has a focus on social workers' competence in assessing, planning, using professional judgment and managing risks to meet the needs of children and young people including in the areas of foster care and adoption.

Teachers: Vetting

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment has been made of the feasibility of introducing Criminal Records Bureau checks for private tutors or music teachers who work unsupervised with children.

Kevin Brennan: The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 provides the legal framework for the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and scheme.
	Individuals such as private tutors will be able to make an application to register with the ISA. In order to register with the ISA all relevant information on the individual will be assessed. This will include criminal information and soft information which is assessed as part of the current Criminal Records Bureau disclosure process. The ISA will make the decision whether the individual should be barred as a risk of harm to children or whether to make them ISA registered.
	For the first time, the scheme will allow parents to check that a self-employed person they use, such as a private music tutor, is ISA registered and therefore not barred as a risk or harm to children. This is an improvement on the current system, where private employers such as parents are unable to check whether a tutor they use to work with their child is on a barred list. Moreover, the ISA will continuously monitor new, relevant information on the individual from criminal convictions and referrals and will notify employers, including parents, if an individual ceases to be ISA registered.
	An individual who is barred under the scheme commits an offence if they seek to engage in regulated activity which includes working as a private tutor for parents.

Truancy

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the most common reasons for absence were of those students identified by dedicated local pupil tracking officers as missing from education for a period longer than 10 days in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many students were identified by dedicated local pupil tracking officers as missing from education for a period of more than 10 days in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested by my hon. Friend is not available. The statutory duty for local authorities to identify children missing from education commenced in February 2007 and local authorities have been implementing systems over the past year that should enable collection of local level data. However, national information is not available regarding periods of, and reasons for, absence from education as reliable information cannot be produced using current methods of collection. My Department will consider how to collect appropriate information in the future.

Vocational Guidance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to raise the aspirations of school children to aim for further or higher education since 1997.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Improving progression towards further and higher education and encouraging young people to continue learning for longer is vital to improve the life chances of young people and meet our economic needs. The total number of 16 to 18-year-olds in education and training increased by 15,500 to 1,547,000 at end 2006, the highest number ever. The 14-19 reformsoutlined in the '14-19 Education and Skills Implementation Plan' (2005) and 'Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16' (March 2007) are designed to encourage more young people to continue learning for longer and to gain the qualifications they need to progress to further and higher education.
	Last month the Government published World Class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All. It set out a wide range of steps which will improve apprenticeships for the future and ensure that an apprenticeship place is available for all qualified young people by 2013. This will play a major part in raising the participation age in learning to age 18.
	We also aim to increase participation in higher education (HE) towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18 to 30, with growth of at least 1 percentage point every two years to 2010/11. In November 2006 the then Department for Education and Skills published Widening participation in higher education. It showed the policies being pursued in four areasraising educational attainment, raising aspirations, improving applications and admissions, and measuring performancewhich individually and collectively help to encourage and enable people from a wider range of backgrounds to go on to HE. Since the publication of Widening participation in higher education my Department has announced that the successful Aimhigher initiative will continue for another three years in its efforts to raise young people's attainment and aspirations and improve their progression. The Government have also launched nine regionally-based excellence hubsuniversity partnerships which are delivering a national programme of outreach opportunities for gifted and talented learners, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
	The Government are convinced that there is much to be gained by encouraging stronger partnerships between schools and universities and wants every secondary school to have a university partner. To that end, last year the Department for Children, Schools and Families and my Department jointly published Academies, Trusts and Higher Education: prospectus which sets out one way in which universities can work more closely with schools to create a better understanding of HE, encourage a wider range of applicants and ensure young people are properly equipped to make the most of HE.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department and its predecessor  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Kevin Brennan: The Department was established in June 2007. Information is available on 16 to 18-year-olds employed directly by its predecessor DfES from 2004 to 2006 and for DCSF in 2007.
	
		
			   Number of 16 to 18-years-olds employed 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 1 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 (current DCSF position) 1 
		
	
	Direct appointments prior to 2004 were not recorded in the same way and figures can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Age-related information on temporary workers engaged by DCSF and DfES is not collected and so to isolate the number of 16 to 18 years engaged would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information on training undertaken by individuals in specified age groups is not recorded and so could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Young People: Unemployed

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of people aged under 18 and not in education, employment or training there were in each English region in the latest period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The Department's estimate of the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) cannot be disaggregated to regional level. However, we can estimate the number of young people NEET using figures drawn from the client management systems maintained by Connexions services. The following table shows the number and proportion of young people aged under 18 NEET in each Government office region at the end of December 2007 based on Connexions data.
	The figures relate to 16 and 17-year-olds known to Connexions and are not directly comparable with statistics on 16 and 17-year-olds NEET published annually by the Department of Children, Schools and Families. This is because the Connexions NEET measure excludes those on gap years, or in custody and young people who attended independent schools or were at school outside England may also be excluded. In addition, the Department's statistics relate to the young person's academic age, rather than calendar age.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of 16 to 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training at the end of December 2007 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 South East 7,710 5.0 
			 London 7,450 6.0 
			 East of England 5,900 5.2 
			 South West 5,130 5.2 
			 West Midlands 7,720 6.6 
			 East Midlands 4,870 5.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 8,560 7.8 
			 North West 11,200 7.2 
			 North East 4,880 8.6

Youth Opportunity Fund

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Youth Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund, with particular reference to hard-to-reach and disadvantaged children and young people who are not involved in formal organisations.

Beverley Hughes: The Youth Opportunity and Capital Funds (YOF and YCF) were established in April 2006 as complementary, universal funds operating under a single management framework. The funds demonstrate how innovative and creative young people can be when they are truly empowered, delivering a wide range of high quality projects and activities.
	Interim findings from the independent evaluation of the funds were published in July 2007: Research report number DCSF-RR004 is available on the DCSF's website. The research found that the funds were meeting their objective to give young people a voice through consultation and control over resources. Local authorities had involved young people in the design and development of the funds, with young people involved as decision-makers.
	Overall, around 570,000 young people have benefited directly from the funds. In addition, management information shows that over a third of the young people involved as decision makers or project leaders were from traditionally disadvantaged groups. The guidance for the funds is clear that particular care should be taken to encourage those groups who face barriers to participation. This includes young people from low income families, young disabled people, young care leavers, looked after young people, young offenders, young carers, young refugees, young lesbians and gay men, young black and minority ethnic people, travellers and those in rural areas.
	On the basis of this evidence it was agreed in comprehensive spending review 2007 that the funds should continue until at least 2011, at the current rates of funding with an additional 25 million of new investment being made available in the most disadvantaged communities.